HalfBreed: Book One
by Swarlos
Summary: Alexandra Sherwood's not your average 18-year-old. Not even close. And neither is the mysterious Kaleb Breslin, nor any of his family. So, what happens when the demons of Alex's past ... Full summary within! Read and Review!
1. Summary, Claims, Author's Note

**Summary (Full):**

Alexandra Sherwood's not your average eighteen-year-old girl. Not even close. And neither is the mysterious Kaleb Breslin, nor any of his family.

So, what happens when the demons of Alex's past come back to make good on their promise?

What happens when Alex and Kaleb find that they're not so different from one another?

What happens when secrets are uncovered, mysteries unlocked, and the ultimate unleashed?

The truth shall be revealed ...

* * *

**Claimer:**

I claim ownership of absolutely everything you read in the following posts, unless I express otherwise in my entries. Such disclaimers shall be stated in reference to clothing brands, vehicle manufacterers, and the like.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Alright, everybody.

This is my fourth crack at Half-Breed: Book One. And I'm kinda hoping that it will be my final go-around with the first installment.

As you may remember, I stated in earlier posts that I was taking AP Language and Composition. Well, I've learned quite a few tricks, and I have to say that, from a personal standpoint, my writing has improved.

I've made a lot of changes. None that I think anyone will be terribly angry about. I'll explain the biggest ones in a sec, but don't fret! I won't ruin anything. (Much.)

First off, Alex isn't going to be the damsel in distress anymore. She can take care of herself in, I'll say, 97.8% of any and all situations. As you shall read.

Secondly, Danica won't come in until later in the story. I have my reasons.

Thirdly, you will see the addition of a homosexual relationship. If you've got a problem with it, either don't read my Fic or don't say anything to me about it.

Fourthly, the language has changed. No, it's still in English. The vulgarity level, however, has seen an increase. (I don't drop f-bombs every-other word ...) The coarser language has been added due to chracter dialogue. (Rating is explained below.)

Fifthly, I changed Alex's appearance. I like it better, so ... yeah. If you don't, tough.

And sixthly -- possibly the most obvious -- I changed Alex's name. It was originally, as you recall, "Tara Anderson." Well, I wanted something with a bit more meaning to it, and with the help of Teenyjewel, came across Alexis, which led me to Alexandra. I also changed "Anderson" to "Sherwood."

I think that's it ...

Oh, and I had to delete my other two Half-Breed stories. I saw some new rule while agreeing to the Guidelines about not having more than one Fic on the same topic, and I more or less took that as directed towards me. (But I have them saved on my pc, so if anyone ever wants to read the Original, let me know!)

-heart-

Swarlos

* * *

**Rating:**

This Fic has been rated Teen (T) by me for the following reasons:

1. Violence

2. Coarse Language

3. Slightly Adult-themed Content

Now, I will warn you now, that those three things can be considered Mature (M) in rating. (Mainly #2.) And, so that there are no surprises, at the opening of any Chapter in which any of those three things will be escalted to a level of M, I will state for you specifically what it is.

* * *

**Memorial to My Previous "Half-Breed" Attempts:**

_Original Stats:_

29,788 Words

15,624 Hits

97 Reviews

37 Favs

27 Alerts

_Rewrite Stats:_

27,567 Words

2,259 Hits

74 Reviews

9 Favs

11 Alerts

P.S. There is also a poll up on my User Profile. Drop by and tell me what you think of my Fic, if you please. Options will be added as the Chapters accumulate.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Tragedy.

It seemed to be my second shadow, trailing me wherever I went, never releasing me from its callous grip.

When I was seven, my parents were murdered by a serial killer loose in the city. And I witnessed the entire incident. The scene haunts my sleep to this very day, and the fact that the authorities never caught my parents' murderer doesn't help the matter.

I was put in the temporary care of my Aunt Helen, a cold and unsympathetic woman with no children of her own who, to my great misfortune, was my only living relative. I lived with her for only a month-and-a-half before she decided it would be more beneficial if I were raised in a home "better suited for a troubled child," such as myself. She relinquished any and all rights to me and what my parents had left me in their will — which was more or less any and everything they owned — and I was placed in the System with the thousands of other orphans.

I was tossed from one foster home to another when a family couldn't handle my crying out in the middle of the night, or my fear of contact with others, or my self-induced exile. I'd gone through four homes by the time I was eight, in less than a year, when Child Services finally placed me with Monica Anderson, a patient and loving woman that deserved to adopt a child with the same qualities, but, instead, received me.

The desolation and pain I felt was an immense burden that no child should have had to bear alone, and, although Monica understood this, I pushed her away. I molded my pain and fear into a mask, a shield that I would bear for the rest of my life. It was a reserve that I used around every person I ever came into contact with; classmates, teachers, the various therapists that came to visit …

It was the first day of my senior year in high school that my life would change, yet again. Unbeknownst to me, my only fear was about to waltz back into my life.

And this time … This time I wouldn't be able to escape.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So, here we are again!

You guys must think I'm insane for re-re-REwriting this Fic, huh? Fourth time's the charm, right? (It'd better damn well be, seeing as how four is my favorite/lucky number!)

Well, that just goes to show how serious I am about this story. I mean, I'm still laying the groundwork for two/three sequels!

Anyway, very minor changes to the Prologue, as you can very well see.

I wanted to elaborate a little bit more on Tara's parents. Basically, they were loaded. And by loaded, I mean LOADED. And Tara's got access to all of it now. (After a few mountain ranges of paperwork, of course.)

So, enjoy. And we'll see where this takes us.

-heart-

Swarlos


	3. Chapter One: Meet the Sherwoods

**Chapter One:**

**"Meet the Sherwoods"**

"Alex! Come on, hon! You don't want to be late on the first day of school!"

Monica's voice cut through my dreamless sleep like a cold knife.

School. The word's acidity burned my tongue and made me want to gag.

"I'm making pancakes!"

I sat up with a heavy sigh, throwing my covers aside as I mumbled, "Oh, joy. Another 180 days of torture."

_But you're a senior. One more year, and you're out of here, _I reminded myself.

I cracked my knuckles. First by making a fist with one hand, pressing it into the other, and repeating. Next by interlacing my fingers and moving my hands downward. Then my pressing down on each finger with the thumb of the same hand. And finally by curling my fingers to look like claws and rolling my wrists.

This was the preparation ceremony for every day and every task, whether I needed to do some heavy lifting or simply concentrate.

After my daily ritual, I trudged to the bathroom across the hall, splashing my face with cold water from the sink.

I'd only gotten a short two hours of solid sleep before I relived my childhood nightmares. Then I lay awake in bed until four in the morning, when I slipped back into a restless slumber.

"What to wear, what to wear …" I pondered aloud as I stared into my closet, lips pursed in mock concentration.

I closed my eyes, singing softly along with the song playing in the background, and pulled out whatever my fingers touched first, throwing it onto my bed. I turned to criticize my ever-so-carefully made selection.

"Not bad," I said to myself with a small smile. I dressed with a deliberate slowness, wishing summer vacation could somehow be prolonged.

Finished, I stood in front of my mirror to look at the result of all my 'hard work.' I was wearing a fitted, white shirt with quarter-sleeves, my favorite pair of jeans with holes in the knees, a black belt with silver, star-shaped studs, and my black Converse All-Stars. (I had quite the collection … One high-top and low-top pair in every original color.) I was dressed comfortably, yet practically.

I lingered a moment longer at my dressing mirror, closely examining myself for what must have been the millionth time.

_I look normal enough, yet everyone thinks me strange, _I thought, turning this way and that._ If only they really knew …_

Before Monica could call me again, I strung a silver necklace around my neck, grabbed my messenger bag and went downstairs. I dropped my bag by the front door and walked into the kitchen, where I was ambushed by Monica and Ben, my six-year-old, also adopted, brother, just as I knew I would be.

"Happy birthday, Alex!"

The both of them wore ridiculous hats and were playing those annoying noise-makers. Ben's exclamation sounded more along the lines of "Happy birfday, Alex!"

I smiled and laughed lightly, for Ben's sake. He'd been through a childhood similar to mine, but where I had become withdrawn and emotionless, Ben had become extremely sensitive.

"Look what we made you, Alex!" exclaimed Ben, pointing to a stack of syrup-drowned pancakes with candles protruding crookedly from the crown. "I put the candles on top!"

"Really?" I said, giving him a hug. "You did all this for me?"

"Well, you deserve it, hon," replied Monica. "It's not everyday that you turn eighteen."

Unfortunately, this year, the first day of school was also my birthday. The two days I dreaded most out of the 365 that made up the calendar — yes, I dislike my own birthday — had been cruelly combined into one torturous affair.

"C'mon! You haff to bwoh out your candles!" said Ben excitedly. He grasped my hand and tugged me toward the island of the kitchen, where my birthday pancakes awaited me.

"How about this …" I lifted him effortlessly and sat him on one of the stools at the island, seating myself next to him. I slid the plate of pancakes toward us.

Ben secretly coveted my birthday breakfast. He eyed the pancakes hopefully.

"There are an awful lot of candles, so why don't you help me blow them out? And then we can share them."

Ben's face glowed. "Weally?"

"Of course!" I laughed. "Now, don't forget to make a wish!"

Ben screwed his eyes shut for a moment, thinking hard. He wished for a puppy and opened his eyes with a toothless grin. "Your tuwn!"

I mimicked his thought process, making a mental note to "talk" Monica into getting Ben a puppy instead of making a wish. "Alright. Ready?"

Ben nodded eagerly.

"On the count of three, then. One — "

"Two — "

"Three!" we said together — Ben voicing the number as "Twee!" — and blew out the candles.

* * *

"You didn't have to do that, Alex," said Monica as we stood on the porch. But she was happy that I had included Ben this morning.

"_I_ certainly don't like my birthday, so why not let Ben have some fun?" I replied, sighing as I stared out at the neighborhood.

It was a quaint, little vicinity. Quiet, helpful neighbors — nosy, albeit, but nice enough. Clean and respectable homes. A place where one dreams of raising their family.

"I better get going. I'm going to miss the bus." I started down the steps.

"Hold on." I turned back to Monica. She tossed me something that I caught reflexively. I looked at the keys in my hand and then at Monica.

"A senior shouldn't have to ride the bus with all those _annoying_ freshmen." Monica rolled her eyes in emphasis, descending the three steps to my side. I followed her to the garage.

"It's brand new, so don't get any scratches or dents. It's a little small, but the perfect size for a girl your age."

The garage door opened, and I was face to face with my new car: a shiny, red Honda. I noticed a little, matching, red bow stuck to the hood.

"The car dealer didn't have any of those ginormous bows that you see in those commercials, so I had to improvise," she stated when she noticed me smiling at it.

I knew she'd known that I was thinking of buying myself a car — now that I was eighteen I had complete access to my inheritance. And I knew that she had been thinking of beating me to the punch and buying me a car herself, and that she'd checked out a few possibilities, but I didn't think she'd go through with it.

"It's perfect, Mon." I turned and hugged her for what must have been only the sixth time since I'd come to live with her. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," she replied. And it was.

"But what on earth will you get me for Christmas?" I joked.

"I'll think of something," she laughed and gave me a quick squeeze before fully releasing me.

"Alright, you'd better get going. I don't need you getting into trouble on the first day of school. Have fun on your birthday and try not to demolish your car."

"Roger," I replied with a two-fingered salute as I opened the car door. I stuck the bow, freshly peeled from the hood, on the dashboard and pushed the key into the ignition. Monica had already moved my CD collection into the car. One was in the player, and the first track poured from the speakers as the engine came to life.

It was the same song that had been playing on the radio. I turned the volume up as I pulled out of the garage, singing along.

* * *

I pulled into the high school parking lot with about fifteen minutes until the first bell rang, parking in a space farther away from the main entrance and under the shade of a tree. I grabbed my bag and stepped out of my vehicle. There were a few stares from the early freshmen and sophomores as they noticed the car, but other than that, I had returned to my inescapable invisibility.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I walked briskly to the main entrance — cracking my knuckles as I went — pulled open one of the double doors, and silently made my way past the main office. Inside were two figures I didn't recognize as part of the regular student body or school employees. I paused slightly in curiosity.

One was a boy and the other a girl. They looked my age, both with dark hair and pale skin. The two spoke as though they'd known the other for their entire lives, quite possibly meaning they were siblings or of some other blood relation.

During my momentary hiatus, the boy looked away from the girl, his eyes locking with mine. My heart stopped cold, my breath catching, my body suddenly rigid. I was abruptly seized by an overwhelming sense of terror. A brief glimpse of my nightmares flickered before my eyes …

_No! _I told myself, pushing the darkness from my mind until it was as expelled as possible._ No. You're not going to let this get the better of you. You're not going to let this win._

It took all my strength to will myself to look away from the stranger, but once I had broken eye contact, my heartbeat staggered to life and my breathing recommenced; my movements, however, were shaky.

I turned the corner just as the two of them stepped out of the office. I stopped to catch my breath and get a drink from one of the chewing gum-less water fountains.

_Calm down, Alex. Calm down. This … This is just because you're not getting enough sleep._

Yes. That sounded like a plausible, _sane_ explanation. Sleep deprivation. I was just tired.

Satisfied, though not wholly, I pulled a scrap of paper from the back pocket of my jeans, unfolding and reading it twice. I continued my trek down the hall.

"Locker 31B," I said, stopping in front of my locker for the year.

I turned the combination lock without any luck. I tried thrice more before I lost my temper and — finding it in my best interest to not damage my own locker by ripping the door from its flimsy hinges — lightly kicked the metal door of its neighbor in frustration, leaving a sizeable concavement.

My day was already off to a spectacular start.

I stalked back from whence I had come until I reached the office. I yanked open the door and crossed to the already cluttered counter that divided the small room in half, the door slamming shut behind me.

"Good morning, Miss Sherwood!" said an overly-cheerful secretary whose name I never bothered to remember. "What can I do for you?"

"I was given the wrong combination for my locker," I almost snarled, thrusting the piece of paper with my supposed locker and combination that had been sent home in her face. I calmed myself down before continuing.

"I was wondering if I could get the right combination before I damage my foot any further from trying to kick the door in." I gave the secretary a false smile.

… Not that I _would _break my foot trying to kick the door of my locker in. If my little tap had dented the adjacent locker, then a _real _kick would turn it into a crumpled heap of scrap metal.

"Of course I can, dear." The secretary proceeded to walk around her desk to a large filing cabinet. Still smiling, she slid open one of the drawers.

"What's your locker number?"

"31B," I answered.

Humming tunelessly, the woman began to rifle through whatever was in the drawer, moving on to another when she didn't find my combination.

She was one of the most dull-minded people I had ever come into contact with. As she searched through the filing cabinet, she was thinking of whether or not she should buy Mr. Boots, her cat, a new catnip toy.

I rolled my eyes and sighed silently. _This is _not_ what I need …_

"Here we are, Alex!" said the secretary triumphantly. She turned to me with an even bigger smile, which I returned with an even _bigger_ false one.

"Let me just photocopy this for you, since we need to keep the original."

"Of course …" I said, only _somewhat_ mockingly.

The secretary gave no notice as she proceeded to the photocopier, which she clearly did not know how to use. She pressed a multitude of buttons and, after an endless few minutes, returned to the counter with a copy of what I hoped was the correct locker combination.

"I hope you enjoy your last year with us!" she said, handing me the paper. She had also come to the conclusion that Mr. Boots did _not _need a new catnip toy — he needed _two._

"I will," I lied. "Thanks —" I glanced discreetly over her shoulder at the name plate on her desk "— Mrs. McCarthy."

"Oh, it's no problem, dear. Come in any time you need something."

Scratch that — Mr. Boots was getting two catnip toys _and _a new ball — the kind with the bell inside. Mr. Boots was obviously living the good life.

I turned and marched swiftly away before Mrs. McCarthy could say — or _think_ — anything more. The new student I had seen earlier was leaning against the wall near the door next to a couple of folding chairs, arms crossed smugly over his chest and wearing a half-smile.

I walked past him, avoiding his gaze and mumbling to myself about how much I hated people.

"Back so soon, Mr. Breslin?" I heard the secretary — who's name I'd already forgotten — ask as I stepped into the hall.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Alright! You caught me! ... Or maybe you didn't. Most of you did. I hope. (You did, right?)

Well, if you didn't catch me, then I won't ruin it for you. That'd be cruel of me. But dropping off the grid for over a month was pretty cruel of me, too, I suppose.

But if you _didn't_ catch on, I'll give you a hint: Listen to Alex.

Okay, so Chapter 1 has never actually changed since my Original posting of Half-Breed. Not much, at least. It's still the intorduction to Alex's family and a little bit of herself ... And the mysterious arrival of the Breslin twins, of course.

Notable changes include: Ben's motor skills and what you _should have _caught onto.

This Chapter is pretty much set in stone. But I'm still making changes, and I'll _always _be making changes. For now, that is.

-heart-

Swarlos

* * *

_Thanks to Wolf of Midnight's call for catching those spelling errors!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the brand Converse, nor the automobile manufacturer Honda._


	4. Chapter Two: Something Different

**Chapter Two:**

**"Something Different"**

My uncooperative locker was only the tip of the iceberg.

My schedule turned out to be the perfect combination of all the worst teachers. I couldn't believe my luck. My last year here, and the administration throws every horror imaginable at me. For the first time in my entire student existence, I was actually looking forward to lunch.

After a quick visit to the vending machines, I went to sit on the waist-high, concrete wall that encircled the Courtyard with my can of soda and M&M's, leaning against the support beam of the covered walkway that ran parallel to the wall.

I usually ate more — _a lot _more. But I abhorred eating in public and tended to skimp on my meals during school hours. I sipped my soda and shoved a handful of M&M's into my mouth, looking around at my peers.

I spotted the new student — "Mr. Breslin" — surrounded by a small group of people, composed mostly of the bravest of the female population at the school. He had been instantly accepted into the so-called "Popular Crowd" and was sitting at a table near one of the trees that dotted the grassy square, laughing and talking animatedly.

I closed my eyes and reviewed what I had learned about him via what I had "overheard." He was the talk of the school; his name was on the lips and his face in the heads of every member of the student body, particularly those of the _female_ variety.

His name was Kaleb Breslin. He had moved here with his sister, Danica, and was living with his uncle and aunt.

Danica Breslin had disappeared before 1st period. (Of course, it only took a quick visit to the office for the image of her to be in the head of every adolescent male in the school; she'd have quite the fan-club when she returned.) Word in the girls' bathroom was that she "had to take care of some unfinished business" and "tie up some loose ends" before moving in with her aunt and uncle.

I took another drink from my soda, eyes still shut.

Kaleb seemed exceptionally interesting, the kind of person you instantly wanted to get to know and befriend. But something about him made me want to stay away. It wasn't my usual "he's not worth my breath" attitude, though.

No — it was something else, something different … something that made me feel like … prey. Something that reminded me of my past — memories that, up until this morning, I had been doing well to suppress.

Before I could put any more thought into the matter, I was interrupted by the ringing of the nasally bell that controlled my life for six hours a day, five days a week. Still hungry, I hopped off the wall, threw my sorry excuse for a lunch away, and wandered off to my next class.

I claimed my accustomed seat in the rear of the room and waited for the rest of my classmates to choose their seats.

_The ones farthest away from me, _I noted detachedly and began to absentmindedly draw an intricate pattern in one of my notebooks. I idly thought about the pretzel stand in the Food Court at the mall and the heavenly deliciousness it served.

Just then, an unfamiliar sensation was triggered in the back of my mind, sending an icy shiver down my spine. I felt as though I were suddenly in danger. All thoughts of food vanished from my mind.

I looked up to meet the gaze of Kaleb Breslin, my body, like a coiled spring, tensed to attack. I unintentionally bristled, almost _hissing,_ as though he were a rival of some sort, competition, and he clearly struggled not to behave in a similar fashion.

Kaleb stood stock-still, his eyes wide, body rigid like mine. His jaw was harshly set, as though he, too, felt the need to leap over the desks between us and throw me against a wall.

But then he moved, walking down the aisle separating two rows of desks.

It was enough to distract me. I cracked my knuckles, the _pop _of my joints further distracting me.

Kaleb dropped into a seat on the opposite side of the room; even the new student had caught on.

_Not surprising,_ I thought, almost dejectedly, _seeing as how everyone avoids me like the plague._

Our eyes remained locked for a moment longer, until we both broke eye contact.

… _And how you looked at him just now,_ I reminded myself, returning to my sketching.

There were, however, two surprising things.

First was the intent stare that Kaleb directed at me for the entire period. Each time I looked up to listen to the teacher or glance at the board, I was halted by his sapphire gaze. Looking into his eyes was like gazing into two miniature oceans, dark and hypnotic, churning and mysterious.

But there was a clear emotion displayed within them — confusion. The reason for his bafflement was beyond me, though I had my speculations …

The second surprise was the fact that I couldn't figure him out. It took me mere moments to read somebody — _any_body — and know everything about them.

Mr. Thompson collected coins. Melissa Nixon broke her ankle when she was ten from landing the wrong way during her gymnastics routine. Karl Roberts hoped his parents weren't going to find out about the kegger he went to over the weekend; the fresh dent he'd put on his dad's new truck; his unpaid parking ticket …

But not _him._

I was distracted by this sudden failure on my part and had to utilize "other means" of obtaining the reading assignment Mr. Thompson had given.

There was something different about this Kaleb Breslin. Something different, indeed.

* * *

At the final bell, I raced to my locker and threw my two-ton books inside. But, ironically, I couldn't close the door.

"Stupid locker," I grumbled, tapping it with my foot.

It stayed shut, and I walked away with a small, triumphant smile. Just as I pushed open the door to leave the building, my cell phone began to ring.

"Hello?" I said without bothering to check the caller ID. I knew who it was.

"Alex?"

_Duh?_ I rolled my eyes. But that was Monica.

"Hi, hon. How was your day?"

"Everything I expected it to be," I replied as I made my way through the crowded parking lot. "I have all the worst teachers, and I think my locker is possessed."

"Oh, don't worry. It'll get better. You'll see."

I shook my head in disbelief, fishing my keys from my bag. "Always the optimist, aren't you, Mon?"

She laughed. "How's your car?"

"Well, I think I managed not to total it this morning, but, you know, I've got all afternoon to wreck the thing," I replied, my voice well-colored with sarcasm.

I opened the driver's door and lowered myself into the seat, leaning across to the passenger side and placing my bag on the floor.

"Well, I've got to get back to work. Be sure to put down your visor, Alex."

"What?" I asked confused. _My visor?_

"You heard me," she laughed. "I'll see you at home, alright?"

"Sure. After my shift. Bye."

I hung up my phone and shoved it into the pocket of my jeans, reached for my visor and flipped it down. An envelope fell onto my lap. I tore it open, finding a birthday card with a green President Grant within.

I pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the mall. My part-time shift at the bookstore started at 3 PM and ended at 7 PM, but I knew Angie would let me leave before then.

"You're here early," observed the store owner as I stepped behind the counter. "It's only quarter till three."

"Well, I won't be taking the bus anymore," I answered in a tone that wasn't inviting conversation; I liked Angie, but I wasn't one for talking.

"Ah. So, Monica finally bought you a car, eh?" she smiled, her eyebrows raised.

"Yup." I changed the subject. Angie was one of Monica's closest friends; she'd known about Monica's plans long ago.

"Any merchandise need to be stocked?" I went back around the counter, pinning my name tag onto my shirt, and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. I proceeded to crack my knuckles.

"A delivery came in about twenty minutes ago. Valerie should be here soon to help, so leave some work for her."

Promptly at three o'clock, my co-worker, Valerie, arrived, just as I finished unpacking the first of many boxes.

"Hey, Alex! You back here?"

Valerie's voice sounded close. She was in an aisle adjacent to the one I was in.

"Alex!" smiled Valerie as she came out from between two book shelves. "Happy birthday!"

I answered with a smile and quiet "thanks," and she followed me into the storage room.

A full minute hadn't even passed before Valerie began her incessant chatter. She must have been the most talkative sophomore at our school — possibly the most talkative _person._ She was tremendously kind, but not even Valerie dared to approach me in the halls.

"So, did you get anything good for your birthday?" she asked curiously.

"A car," I answered as I cracked my knuckles before opening another box of books.

I put the box in Valerie's arms. "These go in Children's Fiction."

"I don't understand how you can carry these …" she muttered under her breath, frowning. She wobbled slightly under the weight of the box.

"But you have a car!" she continued, her frown turning into an exuberant smile. "What kind? What color?"

"Honda. Red." I tried to keep my answers as short as possible. Once you got Valerie started, there was no damming the words that flowed from her mouth. It was not my idea of fun, and I did not have the mentality to endure a flood today.

I couldn't tear my mind away from school, which was most definitely a first, considering how much I despised it.

I kept thinking about Kaleb Breslin. We'd had one other class together after lunch, and it was an exact repeat of seventh period. He walked in, sat on the opposite side of the room, and stared at me for the whole of the period.

No one else seemed to notice. It almost made me want to believe that I was imagining the entire thing … _Almost._

I sliced the packing tape on a second box. It held Science Fiction books. This section was on the opposite side of the store from Children's Fiction.

_Finally, some good fortune …_

"Nice. So, what are you doing for your birthday?" she persisted.

"Not sure," I said with a shrug. Carrying the box of Sci-Fi books, I exited the storage room, Valerie right behind me and _still_ talking.

"It's too bad Ang won't let me off early, too. I'd treat you to a movie."

"Thanks, Val," I said turning to face her, trying to be polite, "but I promised I'd go straight home after my shift. Maybe some other time."

… Okay, so it was lie. But I knew Monica had made plans, and I didn't want to let her and Ben down.

"Sure!" grinned Valerie.

We went our separate ways and returned to our work. The rest of my shift passed in relative silence, much to my relief, ending at 6 PM.

Afterwards, I walked through the mall, planning to spend the $250 that I had in my pocket. I had over ten times that amount stashed in my room, but I'd taken only two hundred to spend this morning. It didn't take much consideration to decide to spend the fifty from Monica, too.

I stopped at the display case of a jewelry store, thinking of her and all of the things she'd done for me over the years.

_You've been nothing but a burden to her, _the voice of my conscience said._ She's treated you like her own flesh and blood, and you pushed her so far away, you shut her out. You've done nothing but hurt her, and she still loved you. It's time to be the daughter you should be. You owe that much to her _and_ more._

I nodded decisively and entered the jeweler's business, leaving in half-an-hour with a receipt for a necklace and an order form for it to be inscribed.

I was smiling contentedly as I sat in my car, drove home, and pulled into the garage. I was still smiling when I opened the door from the garage into the kitchen and was even smiling when Monica and Ben began singing "Happy Birthday."

It was the longest I'd ever smiled since my parents had died.

* * *

There was something different about this Alexandra Sherwood. Something different, indeed.

Kaleb couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew there was something that was just … different. He could think of no better words to describe it.

He had stared at her for immeasurable minutes during their afternoon classes together, searching for what that "something different" might be, but for unknown reasons, his usual abilities proved useless in this task. He was reduced to nothing more than a mere mortal, unsuccessfully attempting to decipher the thoughts and actions of an utter stranger.

The thoughts of the other humans in the school were of no help to him either. They paid no attention to the girl who separated herself from them.

She wasn't drawn to Kaleb like the other humans in the school. She shied away and stayed out of sight. She kept quiet and ignored everyone, as they did her. It puzzled Kaleb.

A part of him considered the human to be his next prey. She was a solitary creature, appearing to be a frail and defenseless human. But the rest of him was too curious to consider it even a possibility. She was also arcane, esoteric, abstruse … and Kaleb felt the need to unravel the mystery of this strange girl.

… If that was what she truly was.

There was a second difference that set this Alexandra apart from the humans around her. Kaleb could sense an aberrant air about her, uncommon for meager humans. Her scent … He felt as though he were in the presence of one of his own, another member of his kind. And not just _any _member of his kind …

When he had entered his class after lunch, he had fought to withhold the feral snarl that wanted to tear its way from his throat. Making eye contact with Alexandra had somehow triggered his animalistic instincts.

Her own reaction was oddly similar to his … for a human.

They had acted like two strange cats meeting for the first time. She had seemed ready to rip Kaleb's head off for daring to set foot in the same classroom as her, but she had reigned herself in and distracted herself by drawing in her notebook.

And yet, despite the numerous meetings of their eyes, Kaleb _still _could not read her thoughts. In all his years, he had never come across a human or one of his kind that could conceal its thoughts from him.

But Alexandra Sherwood was, after much consideration, human.

Her flesh was warm to the touch. She had a heartbeat and a pulse. Blood flowed through her veins.

By any definition Kaleb could conjure, Alexandra was human.

… Just something _more._

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

Alright, so here's Chapter 2! Sorry it took me so long to post. Had to add a few details.

So.

Here's where a big change comes into play -- Alex and Kaleb's reaction to one another. And, as you can see, Danica is not present at this time in the plot. I've also added Kaleb's interpretation/initial observation of Alex.

I bet quite a few questions have been raised, eh?

Well, too bad! 'Cause I'm not giving anything away!

-heart-

Swarlos

* * *

_Thanks (again) to Wolf of Midnight's call for catching my spelling errors!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the automobile manufacturer Honda, nor the Mars Candy Company (which makes M&M's, if you didn't know)._


	5. Chapter Three: Sapphire Stares

**Chapter Three:**

**"Sapphire Stares"**

My first week of school was unbearable. Not because of my dreadful classes or because of the bothersome student body or even because of my haunted locker.

… Okay, maybe my locker had something to do with it, but it wasn't the main cause of my displeasure. Kaleb Breslin was.

Everyday, Kaleb sat across the room from me in each of our five — yes, five, five out of _nine_ — classes together and stared fixedly at me with what appeared to be a confused, yet calculating expression. What was so perplexing, I still hadn't a clue — unless, of course, he was puzzled by the number classes we shared, in which case, I, too, was befuddled. (_I _certainly didn't remember having him in so many of my classes during the course of that first Monday.) And whatever he was evaluating beat the hell out of me.

But no matter, for Kaleb stared from the second he sat down to the second the dismissal bell rang. His oceanic gaze was inescapable.

When the final bell rang on Friday, I all but skipped through the parking lot to my car. I had the key in the door, the door open, and my bag already thrown into the passenger seat. I was about to climb in myself when I felt the now familiar awareness of being watched.

I looked up to the front steps of the main entrance, meeting Kaleb Breslin's steady gaze with a smoldering glare of rage.

_What the hell is your problem! _I screamed in my head, wanting so very badly to shout it aloud.

Just then, Kaleb's expression shifted, as though I _had _yelled at him. At first, he seemed surprised. Then, he appeared elated, somehow victorious, as a smile slowly spread across his face. And then his eyes hardened, intensifying to agonizing extents. The churning waves in his eyes stilled and hardened, crystallizing into cold sapphires.

I matched his gaze with my own powerful one.

Our eyes remained locked in a battle for what seemed an eternity. Neither of us moved or blinked, and I soon forgot how to breathe. I was entranced by his sapphire eyes, and he by mine. There was something in them that was so … alluring, tantalizing.

Suddenly, a slow throb began to pulse through my head. It started just between my eyes and soon engulfed my whole skull. The pain was excruciating, and I was forced to break eye contact with this beautiful stranger.

I gasped for air. My hands flew to the sides of my head. I cringed in agony. My teeth clenched together so tightly, I thought they would shatter from the pressure. I felt a small amount of blood trickle from my nose, but I didn't care enough to wipe it away. I willed the pain to subside before I would be forced to release the cry stuck fast in my throat. It was an intolerably slow thirty-seven seconds until I was able to open my eyes.

When I looked back up, Kaleb was watching me intently, his gaze now matching that of a predator stalking its prey, a snake about to strike. His hands were balled into white fists at his sides, his skin taut over his knuckles, the veins in of his arms bulging blue underneath the translucent membrane of his skin. I stared wide-eyed at him, a deer caught in his heart-stopping, azure headlights.

For the second time that week, the image of my parents' murderer briefly flashed in place of Kaleb. The predatory eyes, the wicked smile, the ghostly skin …

Outright terror gripped me; I stood immobile, frozen in place, my left hand on the top of the car door and my right on the roof. By some means, I had enough restraint at that moment not to crush the soft, pliable metal beneath my fingertips.

Kaleb struggled to shut his eyes, releasing not only me, but the breath he was apparently holding in a _whoosh_ of air. A deep crease appeared on his forehead, and his eyebrows knit together in what I could only describe as pure anguish.

Our little "staring match" had affected him just as strongly as it had me, but it such a contrasting way … He looked almost angry, regretful, even.

A deep feeling of foreboding overcame me. I had to get out of there, or something … _bad_, for lack of a better word, was going to happen.

I swung myself into the car and slammed the door behind me, jabbing the button that locked all the doors and wiping the twin lines of blood from my upper lip and mouth. I held my thighs, just above my knees, in a death-grip that caused an ache in my arms.

I glanced nervously at the front steps, but Kaleb had vanished. I searched the parking lot and the front of the school building from the confines of my car.

Kaleb Breslin was nowhere to be found.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered to myself, trembling.

I waited for the parking lot to empty, trying my very hardest to quell my rising memories and panic.

If Kaleb Breslin was trying to do what I thought he was, I was in some deep, _deep _trouble.

* * *

"That was too close," Kaleb scolded himself. "You almost lost control. You could have killed her right then and there, right on the spot, and exposed everyone, ruined everything."

Kaleb shook his head as he paced the perimeter of the school roof, standing on the raised parapet.

"Why? Why did you have to try to read her thoughts?" he muttered.

He had been so sure, so wholly certain that the thought had been Alexandra's. The mentality of it had been so alien to him that Kaleb had been absolutely positive it had belonged to her. He thought he had finally broken through her mental block, and so he pushed for more, for full access to her mind — and been completely shut out. Once again, he had run straight into that impenetrable wall of hers.

Kaleb's curiosity was getting the better of him, and he didn't like it. But now, his predatory instinct was fighting just as hard to win him over, and Kaleb wasn't partial to that, either.

"There has to be some middle ground …" Kaleb threw himself down onto the parapet at the corner of the roof, legs dangling freely above the freshly cut front lawns of the school.

_There is no middle ground!_ snarled the part of him that thirsted_. You smelled her blood! You smelled that luscious … succulent … mouth-watering scent. You can't ignore it! You can't!_

"Her blood …" mumbled Kaleb, his curiosity smothering the predator within. He stared at the clouds as they passed overhead, deep in thought.

Alexandra's mental defenses had been so strong and Kaleb's mental assault so powerful that a blood vessel had ruptured from the face-off. As the blood trickled from her nose, it awakened the most powerful thirst he had ever felt. It took all the will and determination Kaleb could muster in order to keep him from taking the girl's life.

"There's something so familiar about it, yet something so singular," he said aloud. Kaleb pondered the scant possibilities — again — but was left without an answer.

Was she a vampire herself?

Kaleb laughed derisively at the notion. The fact that he had ruptured one of her blood vessels was proof enough that Alexandra was human. But her scent said different. It was weak, but it was there — the undeniable scent of vampire venom.

Could she have been bitten before, but not changed?

It was true that the victims of vampires were found to have trace amounts of venom lingering in their bloodstream. A vampire would leave it as a scent marker for others — this human was its prey and no one else's. It may have been left by a younger vampire who could not control the flow of its venom. The scent could even have been the remnants of a transformation attempt gone awry, interrupted, perhaps.

Could she be something wholly different, something unrelated, outside the vampiric possibilities?

The blood of other species had scents dissimilar to humans' — a rancid stench that burned the back of your throat or, akin to Alexandra's, an irresistibly sweet aroma that could leave you with a pool of venom in your mouth.

"Quite the enigma," he commented thoughtfully.

It wasn't until the stars began to blink into view that Kaleb made a decision. He stood, determined, his eyes glinting with resolve. Kaleb's curiosity had come out victorious in his internal battle.

_I can't get my family involved,_ he thought as he leaped from the roof to land on his feet in the grass. _It would be too dangerous. I'll have to do this on my own. But in order for me to do anything, I must feed first._

Kaleb raced into the night, focused on the task he had just created, the path he had just set.

He had to know. He had to know what she was. He had to know what Alexandra Sherwood was and why she had such an inexplicable affect on him.

* * *

"Quite the enigma," I commented as I changed into my PJs — a white tank top and boxer shorts. Obviously, I was thinking of Kaleb Breslin.

I had spent my entire shift attempting to conjure an elucidation for our "clash" this afternoon, but I ended back in Square One, only this time with an even worse headache.

I popped a couple of Tylenol into my mouth, swallowing the pills dry. I hoped they would help, though pain killers never did much for me. Medicinal products never really had much, if any, effect on me whatsoever. In fact, I almost never had to employ the use of medications, pain killers, cough suppressants …

"Another puzzle …" I mumbled, climbing beneath my blankets. "Another puzzle for another time."

As sleep eluded me for the time being, I decided to contemplate this afternoon. Again.

The easiest way for a telepath to gain access of another's mind was through direct eye contact, especially if said telepath is not very practiced or is dealing with someone who is a stranger to them.

Only a telepath — or a very knowledgeable non-telepath — has the ability to block another telepath from its mind.

Put one and one together, and you get two — Kaleb Breslin and me.

I had considered all of the possibilities, and this was the only explanation that made remotely any sense. That was why he would stare at me during our classes and why I couldn't read his thoughts.

Kaleb _had _to be telepathic.

… Or _I _had to be going insane.

Sad as it may be, the latter was more likely.

After an hour of lying awake, thinking of whether or not there were others like me out there, thinking of whether or not I should confront Kaleb, staring at the shadows that danced across my ceiling, I decided to take another Tylenol, not for my headache, but to see if it would induce any kind of slumber.

While doing so, I opened one of the French doors that served as the entrance to my small, private balcony. The cool night air was soothing as a light breeze blew through the trees, their leaves whispering quiet goodnights to the creatures of the forest.

I suddenly shivered. The sensation of being watched was sparked in the back of my mind. I stepped outside and examined the backyard and nearest trees in the dark, searching for any traces of an unwelcome guest.

_He's gotten to you, _I scolded. _You've become so paranoid …_

My sweep paused at one tree, a particularly large maple that dominated the edge of the surrounding forest closest to this side of the house. One of the shadows didn't seem right. It didn't belong.

I watched as intently as possible, waiting for the slightest movement, the softest of sounds. I contemplated throwing something into the concealing branches, but thought better of it. Why waste a perfectly good shoe?

Instead, knowing for certain that the Tylenol would not have an effect on me for a while, if any, I cracked my knuckles and sat on the lounge chair on the balcony, my eyes never leaving the shadow that I was sure didn't correspond with the forest setting.

But as the dawn approached, my eyelids began to droop, and my willpower slowly faded into a desperate want for sleep. Just as the sun began to light the horizon, its warm, golden rays peeking out from behind the distant mountains, I felt myself slip into darkness, taking comfort in its fathomless depths.

* * *

_Unbelievable!_ thought Kaleb as he flew through the trees of the enormous wooded land.

Early morning sunlight filtered through the leaves as he bounded effortlessly from one perch to the next, landing with ease, barely disturbing the wildlife that would soon begin to stir from their slumber.

_How did she spot me? That's impossible for a human!_ He shook his head in disbelief.

Kaleb's thirst had been nearly fully quenched after his hunt, but it had returned without relent once he had breathed in Alexandra's scent. However, as he watched her stakeout his hiding place, it had ebbed to a dull desire, suppressed by that for knowledge. After last night, his curiosity burned with a new ferocity.

_I have to know … And there's only one place I can go to find the information I need, only one person I can speak to that would know … _The corners of Kaleb's mouth turned upward in a small smile. _It looks like I'm spending the weekend in England._

It had been literally_ ages _since he'd laid his eyes on his good friend Amelia. She'd be falling over herself with joy when Kaleb showed up on her doorstep.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

That's right. Telepaths. Are some of the pieces starting to fit together? Is that them I hear clicking together in your minds? ... Or is that the sound of my fingertips tapping away at the keyboard? ... Or, dare I say it, BOTH?!?!

Alrighty then. Not _too _different from my other Rewrite. Aside from the telepathy and Kaleb's visit to England. That's new. And who is this mysterious Amelia?

You shall find out in Chapter Four ...

-heart-

Swarlos

* * *

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the pharmacuetical drug known as Tylenol._


	6. Chapter Four: Amelia

_**Notice:** The terms "arse" and "bastard" have been used in this Chapter, so heads up._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Four:**

**"Amelia"**

I awoke Saturday sprawled on the chair of my balcony, headache-free and at ease, last night's sensation of being watched lifted.

I stood stiffly, stretching and cracking my knuckles while searching the minimized shadows of the forest. There was no trace of the unusual silhouette I had seen in the maple tree. I shrugged and made my way back into my bedroom, choosing to remain in my PJ's.

My clock said it was nearly 11 AM. I checked Ben's room to see if he was still asleep. His bed was a tangle of blankets and sheets, his room the usual Disaster Zone. Closer examination revealed that he was indeed not asleep.

I walked to the top of the staircase, hearing the sounds of an anvil being dropped on an unsuspecting animated character's head and the laughter that followed. I smiled, silently descending the stairs and entering the kitchen.

Ben had also given me a gift that I instantly loved. It was a large, pale green ceramic mug that Monica had helped him paint at a pottery shop in town. On it, in black paint, was my name in all capitals, and on either side was a red heart. On the base of the mug, "Love Ben" was painted with the date.

I grabbed this from the cabinet as I waited for the teapot to whistle and sat at the island, reflecting over what had happened in my dreams. For the first night in eleven years, my parents' murder did not haunt them. I'd had a full night's sleep — if you consider falling asleep at sunrise and waking up at eleven o'clock a full night — with only one nightmare.

I dreamt that I was in school, late for my next class. I raced down the locker-lined halls, searching for the classroom I was supposed to be in. Suddenly, I came to a dead end, the hall ending in a bare wall.

When I turned to leave, Kaleb unexpectedly materialized, stepping out in front of me. By some invisible force, I was thrown back against the wall, pinned as I struggled to break free. I snarled defiantly, like a cornered creature, ready to fight till the death.

Kaleb's pale lips curled into a vicious smile, and he grabbed my neck in one of his large, icy hands. I had expected it to have choked off my air supply and crushed my windpipe.

His eyes had me under their spell again. His smile grew, exposing elongated fangs — reminding me so much of my parents' murderer — and Kaleb leaned in …

The teapot shrieked as the water reached its boiling point.

Shaking my head, I dispelled the dream from my present thoughts and hurried to the stove, removing the kettle from the burner and allowing the scalding water to splash into my mug. I gave my tea a moment to steep.

_Overactive imagination,_ I told myself.

Why on earth would I associate Kaleb or my parents' killer with a vampire, anyway? I snorted and dismissed my imaginings.

And then my mind turned to my late-night stakeout of the forest. I was positive that someone — or some_thing_ — had been out there, watching. I could feel it in every fiber and bone of my body, in the essence of my very being.

_I should have thrown my shoe … _I thought as I walked into the living room to watch cartoons with Ben.

* * *

"_Bloody hell!"_ exclaimed Amelia in surprise when she stepped into the lobby.

"Evenin', Guvnah!" greeted Kaleb with a grin.

"Don't you 'Evenin', Guv'nah' me, you arse!" she snarled angrily. "Ev'r 'ear uhvah phone, or a letter, or a postcard, pe'haps?"

"No, I don't believe I have …" Kaleb replied in a slightly sarcastic tone as his hand came to rest thoughtfully upon his chin.

"Get in 'ere, you bloody Yank!" Amelia laughed, shaking her head.

Kaleb joined his friend with his own hearty laugh as Amelia led him past a large desk, behind which cowered her receptionist.

The poor bastard — Henry was his name — was well aware that his boss wasn't the most human of sorts, and was scared out of his wits when any just-as-inhuman colleague of Amelia's paid her a visit.

The two continued through the lobby, which was actually that of a remodeled 19th century hotel, and climbed the dominating staircase to the second story.

"Brings back mem'ries, doesn't it?" Amelia commented over her shoulder as they reached the apex.

"Quite a few," mumbled Kaleb, turning his head to gaze down at the ground floor. He'd spent a great deal of time at The Royale Hotel when he had been a younger vampire. It seemed only yesterday …

"I s'pose it's not much uhvah su'prise that I bought the place once it went on the market, eh?"

"Not at all," answered Kaleb, admiring the restoration work as he stepped into the more modern addition of an elevator. The Royale had to be worth trillions.

Amelia had always loved The Royale. She'd fallen in love here, not just with the building, but with her mate, Fiona.

The elevator _dinged, _the shiny, metal doors slid apart, and Kaleb was ushered into the office of England's finest psychic/private investigator, which also doubled as her humble abode.

The fourth story of The Royale had been converted to one enormous apartment, the smaller half being the actual office where business was conducted, and the larger, second half being Amelia and Fiona's living quarters.

Kaleb and Amelia stood in the office portion of Amelia's apartment. Kaleb had expected to have seen Fiona by now.

"Where's Fee?" he asked, looking Amelia in the eye.

The corners of her mouth turned down. It was obvious by Amelia's reluctance that she'd figured Kaleb would ask about her mate. It was also clear by the guarded expression in her caramel-coloredeyes that she was well aware that Kaleb could extract the answer from her mind if need be.

Kaleb preferred not to invade a friend's privacy in such an intimate manner, however, and would have gladly waited patiently for Amelia to reveal whatever had happened. But he didn't have to.

"Fiona an' I …" Amelia threw her arms protectively around herself and strode over to the wall of glass behind her giant, mahogany desk. "We — We had a bit … a bit uhvah spat, is all."

Kaleb was beside her in a second; with his arm wrapped around Amelia's shoulders, her tawny curls spilling over it, he pulled her against his side. Amelia laid her head lightly upon his chest.

"What happened?" he asked gently, staring out the window.

Amelia's story came out in a whirlwind of words that blurred together and would have been a senseless twenty-second gurgle to human ears. She sighed when she'd finished.

"It's better if I show you."

Kaleb felt Amelia's unguarded conscience brush against his. He closed his eyes and was suddenly looking through hers.

* * *

"_Back so soon?" I asked with a smile as Fiona walked into the library. I was curled up on the leather couch, pouring over the pages of a rather large volume, and left the book open as I stood to greet her._

_We shared a quick kiss, and Fiona tossed her various assortment of weaponry onto a small table. She seemed distracted, tense._

_I returned to the couch, and Fiona joined me, leaning against me. She was quiet. Too quiet._

_I shut the sixty-pound book and tossed it across the room; it landed atop a growing stack with a considerably audible _thud.

"_What's wrong, dear?" I questioned, turning to face Fiona._

_The capture had gone perfectly, just as I'd seen it. But I hadn't seen anything that would upset Fiona._

"_It — It's nothin'," she replied with a shrug, avoiding my gaze. "I — I've jus' been thinkin', is all."_

"_What about?"_

_Fiona glanced fleetingly at me. I knew what was on her mind._

"_Children," we said in unison, mine coming out in a sigh of exasperation._

"_Fee, we've discussed this," I said sternly. "We _cannot_ adopt a human child. You know that. The danger is jus' too great."_

"_I know, Mia," Fiona said with fervor, "but what if we were t' raise a child … like us?"_

_I scoffed at the notion, barely hiding the ridicule from my voice. "You want a vampire baby?"_

"_Yes, Amelia." Fiona shot up from the couch, circling to the glass doors of the terrace that overlooked the gardens. She set her eyes upon me, a fire in them that scorched my own._

"_Is that so hard t' b'lieve? That I want a child of my own, that I c'n call my own? Amelia, don't tell me y'don't want the same." She spoke with such passion, such conviction …_

"_Fee, it's not possible."_

"Like hell, it's not! If the damn humans c'n, then so c'n we!" _Fiona's voice echoed stridently in the one-time ballroom. Then, without warning, she snatched her belongings from the table and left._

_I called after her, begged her, pleaded with her, but she wouldn't listen. Fiona packed her necessities — mostly weapons — and vanished._

* * *

The memory faded, and Kaleb's vision returned.

Amelia was holding the necklace that Fiona had given her, watching the sunlight dance and glitter on its surface; Fiona wore its twin.

"I'm so stupid …" she muttered. "So very, very stupid … I didn't see. I didn't see our fight. I didn't see 'er leavin'. I didn't see anythin'."

Kaleb let her talk.

"I was ignorant. I didn't pay attention to 'er. I was so cer'ain that ev'rything b'tween us was fine … If I'd've seen, I could've pr'vented it." Amelia let her necklace fall against her chest and looked up at Kaleb

"I thought she'd be back by now," she whispered.

"When was this fight?" he asked.

"Two years, three months, and fift'n days," she murmured, taking her necklace back into her hand.

"Where is she?"

"Right now, she's in France. But she'll be in Russia by Tuesday. She's lookin' fer some scientist."

"Scientist?" Kaleb's eyebrow shot up in question.

"Mm-hm. Gregori Markov. Fee thinks he c'n 'elp us." Amelia shook her head.

"Mia, why don't you want children?"

Amelia's laugh came out as a rough bark. "Ha! You, too, eh?"

Kaleb looked at her quizzically.

"Ev'ryone thinks I don't want kids," Amelia explained, stepping away from Kaleb and meeting his gaze.

"You do?"

"'Course I do!" she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest in irritation. "Ev'ry woman — mort'l or immort'l — at one time in 'er life wants children!"

"Then why didn't you tell Fee?"

Amelia shrugged. "I dunno. She was so set on havin' a baby … Fer the longest time she tried convincin' me that we could adopt a human child, but it would've been too dang'rous … An' when she brought up havin' a vampire baby — _us, _one of only a handful of homosexual vampire couples to ev'r exist — I thought she'd finally gone mad."

Kaleb nodded. He understood.

The humans were having similar troubles with homosexual couples wanting to adopt or have children of their own; but many couples were successful in their quests to have a family.

_That's probably what Fee meant by 'If the damn humans c'n, then so c'n we,' _he thought.

"Alright, y've heard m'sob-story," Amelia said, changing the subject to more present matters. "Now …"

Amelia flashed to her desk and motioned for Kaleb to seat himself in one of the black, leather chairs opposite her. Kaleb complied, and Amelia perched on the edge of her high-backed chair. She leaned forward, propping herself up on her elbows, her hands folded beneath her chin.

"Kaleb," she continued, all business, "why have y'come t' darken m'doorway? What brings y'cross the pond? An' why has it taken y'so damn long t' do so?"

Kaleb smiled ruefully. "It's better if I show you."

* * *

"Y'nev'r visit unless y'need somethin' …" remarked Amelia. She hadn't moved a micrometer in the hour it took to rifle through all the memories/evidence Kaleb had stored in his head. She pushed herself away from the desk and flashed to the elevator door, jabbing a button with her finger.

"Alright," she said, turning back to Kaleb, who was still sitting in his chair. "If I let y'in m'library, y've got t' promise me three things —"

Kaleb was out of his chair and next to her before she could finish her sentence.

"Deal!" he said, crushing Amelia into his chest.

She struggled out of the embrace, annoyed but happy to be helping Kaleb.

"One," she continued, "don't mess anythin' up. Put ev'rythin' back where y'got it from and be careful — m'collection is priceless and irreplaceable.

"Two —" the elevator doors opened, and Amelia and Kaleb stepped inside "— visit me more of'en. I know we'll be around fer all of eternity, but a visit ev'ry now an' then would be nice.

"An' three —" the elevator _dinged, _its doors parting to reveal what used to be The Royale's ballroom "— you an' Dani have _got _t' stop shielding y'selves from me. I had t' find out that y'were back in America through Johnny — _Johnny!"_

Amelia stepped out of the elevator and led Kaleb to the center of her library. Kaleb's eyes darted around him in awe at the maze of bookshelves.

"Do you _know _what it's like t' know what's goin' on _after _Johnny? It's maddenin', I tell ya! I was right ready t' tear m'hair out!" Amelia shook her head, her curls bouncing. "An' then when I started askin' 'bout you an' Dani, I get Richard on m'back, complain' 'bout how you two are massacrin' his clan."

Amelia snorted, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, welcome t' m'library. Fer this perticular topic, I would suggest startin' in the heart of the shelves — where we're standin' now — an' workin' back towards the kitchens. I'll be able t' see if y'need any assistance, so don't wurry 'bout gettin' stuck.

"Now, I've got a client whose late fer our appointment an' is goin' t' barge int' the lobby in about two-an'-a-half minutes, so I'll be back t' check yer progress."

"Thanks, Mia," Kaleb said with a smile.

"Anythin' fer a friend," she replied with a dazzling smile to match his. "An' r'member what I said 'bout sheldin' y'self."

"Right." Kaleb opened the connection between his and Amelia's mind as she turned to leave, and faced the task at hand, distantly happy that it was impossible for him to get paper cuts.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ah, so _this_ is the mysterious Amelia! What do you guys think? I have zero experience writing homosexual romance, but I figured there was little if any difference between homosexual and heterosexual romance, so here we are! Amelia and Fiona -- two lesbian vampires in love and trying/wanting to have children! (Like I said -- if you've got a problem with this, either don't read my Fic or just don't mention it to me. Get it? Got it? Good.)

You'll have to excuse my horrible interpretation of a British accent. I said the dialogue aloud over a hundred times, and it sounds British (to me). But I fear it also sounds Aussie and Irish, too. Lmao. It makes me sort of sad inside to realize that I can't write in an accent, let alone speak with one. But it all makes for a good laugh, right?

Now, has anyone figured out what Amelia is? (Besides a vampire.) What can she _do? _And did anyone pick up on what Fiona's specialty might be? Hmm? Any takers?

Ah, well. Enough of that. I'm finished badgering you. For now.

In this Chapter, I sort of slipped in Danica's reason for not being with her family. I also hinted at a pretty significant factor in Kaleb and Dani's past.

That's it for now. I'm up to Chapter Seven. I have a plan for Eight, but after that I hit a wall. Sort of. I have an idea, but I need to seriously sit down and think about it. We'll see what happens.

-heart-

Swarlos

P.S. The Royale, as far as I know, is a fictional place, purely my imagination.

P.S.S. Sorry about the wait ... School's been pretty harsh lately. I've actually just finished Chapter Seven and am starting Eight. And with the help of Teenyjewel, I've come up with a new first name for Tara. But now I have to find a last name that suits all of the current "Andersons," so I won't change the name in the story until I figure that out.


	7. Chapter Five: What to Do?

**Chapter Five:**

**"What to Do?"**

"Madame Sharona — Psychic Medium, Teller of Fortunes, and Provider of Potions and Charms." I stared up at the sign. "What a hack."

I pushed the door open, the bell above it jangling to signal the arrival of a customer — generally someone stupid enough to listen to the old bat's ramblings and buy a potion or two.

"Greetings, young one!" came Sharona's voice, disguised with her fake, Romanian accent. "What brings —"

Sharona, dressed in her usual over-extravagant gypsy attire, parted the beads and curtains that covered the doorway behind the counter. She stopped speaking once her eyes landed on me.

"Oh." She dropped her phony accent. "It's you."

"Hey, Sharona," I greeted, not bothering to feign friendliness. "Rita around? I need to speak with her."

Sharona eyed me suspiciously. The skin around her eyes crinkled, the lines created fanning outwards.

"Wait here," she said, disappearing behind the beads and curtains.

I pulled the stool from beside the front door to the counter and perched upon it, leaning with my arms on the countertop. I cracked my fingers while I waited.

"Well, well, well. Haven't seen you in a while." Rita was holding a curtain back as she looked through the beads. She walked through, the beads jingling delicately as they hit each other.

"Alex," she said with a nod of welcome.

"Rita," I replied, returning the gesture.

"What can I do for you?"

At the age of twenty-two, Rita was Sharona's granddaughter. While Sharona was an advertised psychic/witch, Rita was the actual supernatural being. She was a telepath, like me.

I had wandered into Sharona's shop when I was fifteen out of curiosity. I knew instantly that Madame Sharona's act was a complete sham, but Rita and I had felt some sort of connection to one another. She was older than me and more practiced with her gift.

"_Do you know what telepathy is?" Rita had asked once Sharona had left the front room, annoyed that she was unable to swindle me._

"_Yes," I had answered, knowing what she was getting at._

"_Are you a telepath?"_

_I could see into Rita's hazel eyes, and it was immediately apparent that I could trust her with the truth._

"_Yes," I had said._

It was that day that Rita and I had formed a sort of student-teacher relationship. Over the course of the next few years, Rita had taught me all that she could about our shared gift.

It was evident from the start that I affected Rita in the same manner that I affected all other people, so she did not want to become friends. Being as withdrawn as I was, I was not interested in her friendship, either. But we were both comfortable and satisfied with becoming the other's social contact and colleague.

I sat straighter, removing my arms from the counter. "I need some information."

Rita's green-brown eyes lit up. "Information?"

"Of a certain variety."

Rita dragged another stool to the counter, sitting across from me. She kept as much distance as the counter allowed between us, though, and I did nothing to breach it.

"Go on," she urged.

"I may have found another person with telepathic abilities," I said softly.

Rita's eyes widened. "Really?"

"I'm not entirely sure. But if I am correct, this telepath is powerful."

"How powerful?" Rita questioned, the olive skin of her forehead puckering. "Did he break through?"

"No," I answered. "But he's doing a bang-up job of keeping _me_ out."

"_You _can't get in?"

I shook my head, recounting everything that had happened between Kaleb Breslin and me, giving a detailed account of our showdown in the parking lot on Friday.

"This sounds serious, Alex …" Rita leaned back, chewing a fingernail.

"What are you thinking, Rita?"

It was common courtesy for one telepath to not invade the mind of a fellow telepath. Unless _absolutely_ _necessary._

"I'm thinking that you might want to let this person approach _you_. He might not realize that you're a telepath, too, which is why he was trying so hard to break through. But maybe …" Rita removed her fingernail from her mouth, sitting up. "Maybe now he has realized what you are."

"What if he _does _come to me?" I asked. I had no prior experience dealing with others of the supernatural variety, aside from Rita, whom I had found by chance.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, Alex. He could be someone to befriend, or he could be someone to avoid. That's ultimately your choice."

"And if he _doesn't?" _I pressed.

"Then wait. But don't expose yourself," warned Rita. "It will _always_ be in your best interest to keep your telepathy a secret."

I stood as if to leave, but didn't move for the door. "Rita?"

"Yes?"

"Are there others out there? Others like us?"

"Absolutely," she replied with a sure nod. "We're few and far between, but we're out there."

"Thanks." I reached for the door.

"Alex," Rita said, her fingernail returning to her mouth, "if you don't mind, keep me updated on this Kaleb."

"Sure thing, Rita."

But as I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I thought, _What am I going to do? …_

* * *

Kaleb Breslin was a no-show on Monday.

I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing, if this was in my favor or against me.

But it _did _give me an extra day to think about things. And I did my best thinking in the forest.

After school, I went straight home.

"Gah!" I pinched the bridge of my nose the second I opened the front door. "What is that _smell?"_

It was all throughout the house, in every room, but strongest in mine. I couldn't give the scent a particular name. It was acrid, burning the inside of my nose, mouth, and throat. It was fetid, reminding me of death.

I cracked a few windows downstairs and threw open the doors to my balcony. Maybe I could air out the house before Monica came home with Ben.

I changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, abandoned my shoes, and let down my hair. I stepped out onto the balcony, basking in the sunlight as it warmed my bare skin. Then, with a small smile, I grasped the rail and vaulted over, landing on my feet in the plush grass below, knees slightly bent to help absorb the impact.

A second later, I was off, sprinting into the trees. As I traveled into the thicker portion of the forest, I broke out into a full run, my legs carrying me faster than any high school track star or Olympic gold medalist.

I relished the cool forest air that filled my nostrils and lungs; the dappled sunlight that fell on my skin; the moist earth and thick carpet of grass on my bare feet; my hair whipping freely behind me; the feel of my muscles expanding and contracting, working to their full extent.

I could run like that forever. It was magical.

But all too soon, the spell was broken, replaced with another of equal potency.

I stopped at the edge of a small clearing, dominated in the center by a Goliath of a tree which must have been the oldest in the entire forest. Beneath its protective cover of branches, I would train myself. And late at night when I could not sleep — which happened more often than not — I would sit it the shelter of the enormous tree's branches and ponder the mysteries of Life.

This place was my sanctuary and possessed a magic all its own.

I sighed contentedly, continuing onward until I reached the ancient, gnarled and knotted trunk. I placed my right hand on its bark and slowly walked around the enormous circumference once, making a full circuit. I patted the trunk, for it was my oldest friend.

Cracking my knuckles, I sauntered forward, coming to a stop halfway between the giant tree and a pile of stones neatly stacked into pyramidal form.

"Alright. Let's get down to business."

* * *

It had never been Kaleb's intent to miss school on Monday.

He had been leaving his home that morning when an unknown scent wafted past. It was unfamiliar and, therefore, suspicious.

Thinking of the safety of Kaleb's family, he followed the scent into town, where the trail wove into an intricate web, crossing itself multiple times. It proceeded to lead Kaleb into the forest that surrounded the town. Kaleb knew where he was headed before he'd even neared the destination.

He arrived at the Sherwood residence, circling the property as the trail did. The scent was fresh and quite recent.

A tendril of the scent-trail stemmed off of the main body, leading toward a set of glass French doors, like those that opened onto the balcony off Alexandra's bedroom, on the side of the house. Kaleb approached the dwelling with caution, easily pushing the glass doors open. The owner of the strange scent could still be inside.

"Not exactly secure," mumbled Kaleb as he stepped into the kitchen. Kaleb cast out his mind, but found no consciousnesses. The house was vacant.

Kaleb breathed in the heady aroma of humans, the double-sided perfume of Alexandra, and the unknown scent he had followed. With every step he took inside, Kaleb grew more positive that the scent belonged to a vampire. He began to pick out tell-tale elements — a cocktail of different blood-scents: the sharp tang of venom; a tinge of determination mixed with doubt and fear …

Kaleb was dealing with a fledgling, an inexperienced vampire, a newborn.

The various blood-scents that seasoned the atmosphere inside the house were due to an insatiable thirst, meaning the vampire was feeding quite often and with much disregard.

The venom was no doubt caused by being in the presence of humans, which meant that it could not control its venom-flow.

The resolve, too, was obvious — it was on a mission. It had a job to do, but was uncertain about … about what? Whether it should lie in wait for one of the house's occupants to walk unsuspectingly into an ambush? Whether it would have the willpower to sustain its objective and complete its task? Whether it should even be here in the first place?

Shaking his head, Kaleb covered the entire first floor and then climbed the stairs to the second story. The trail led to each of the bedrooms, stopping at the doorway. However, at the entrance to one bedroom — Alexandra's quarters, from the smell of it — the trail did not turn off and lead to another portion of the upstairs.

Kaleb opened the door and was hit with the overwhelming stench of the Sherwoods' visitor, the most powerful factor being the acerbic taste of venom. It had spent an extended period of time in this room, and Alexandra's scent had truly affected it. It took all of Kaleb's will for her scent to not affect him in the same manner.

Alexandra's bedroom was that of the average teenager — white walls; dresser; dressing mirror; walk-in closet; bed; collection of CD's; laptop charging on a small, book-cluttered desk …

Kaleb's eyes searched for anything that appeared to be amiss and noticed the corner of a photo album poking out from beneath the bed. He snatched it up from the floor and perched on the edge of the bed, flipping back the leather cover.

He wasn't sure if he would find any answers within the photographs. Nonetheless, Kaleb sat engrossed with them for an entire ten minutes, taking his time to absorb as many details as possible.

The early pages of the album were covered by pictures of a man and woman. The man was a ghostly white, with dark blonde hair and violet eyes. The woman was fair-skinned, a rich brunette, and golden-eyed.

It was obvious that these two were a couple. In each shot the pair smiled alluringly, their eyes gleaming with happiness. They fit each other perfectly, complimenting their counterpart in every aspect.

Soon, Kaleb came to a place in the timeline of photos in which the brown-haired woman's stomach slowly began to swell. She was pregnant — with a daughter.

Then there were pictures of the proud parents with their child, a brown-haired, violet-eyed baby. Alexandra.

It was clear that she had inherited every physical trait of her mother's — the fair skin, the silky, brown hair, the sleek, toned body — with the exception of her eyes, which were gifted to her by her father. Every miniscule detail about the bluish-purple orbs was exactly the same — the vivid color, the phathomless depths that swallowed one whole …

The remainder of the album was a memorial to the first years of Alexandra's life. Kaleb contentedly watched as the infant grew — its first steps, its first solid food, its first birthday.

What he found only the slightest bit odd was that there were no traces of other family members — aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins. Not even friends of the family. The pictures only documented the three — Alexandra, her mother, and her father.

Quite abruptly, the pages of the album became blank. As if the family's existence had suddenly ceased, as if a slate had been wiped clean.

However, there was one page that particularly perplexed him.

This single page had four metal tab-corners centered and spaced evenly apart to hold a photograph in place. Beneath the bottom two corners, a date was written. Yet, the page remained devoid of anything else.

Kaleb snapped the album shut and slipped it back under the bed. He lay back on the bedspread, his hands folded thoughtfully behind his head. He stared at the ceiling, his thoughts racing in too many directions at once. Kaleb reined them in, suppressing them for a later time.

He hopped nimbly to his feet and headed for the doors that led onto Alexandra's private balcony, opening one. The acidic taste of the newborn vampire's venom was stronger, still. It had disappeared into the forest after completing its mission, whatever it had been.

Kaleb slipped out onto the balcony and placed a hand on the railing, using it to lift himself up and over. He landed softly, turning his head toward the surrounding greenery to absorb the scent of the newborn.

Kaleb followed the trail through the forest until he came to the dividing line that separated his current residential city from another, into which the newborn had escaped.

He wasn't about to pursue this possible threat with the possibility of trespassing in another vampire's territory. But Kaleb wasn't about to give up the chase, either. He'd be waiting for the vampire's return.

Kaleb collected a sufficient amount of venom in his mouth and spat it onto a nearby tree, the bark dissolving away to expose the white wood beneath. That would serve as a scent-marker, a warning to any who came this way.

He raced through the wooded area, weaving effortlessly amongst the branches and underbrush. He had to think.

Kaleb had learned virtually nothing that could assist him in the case of Alexandra Sherwood. He had spent thirty-six hours straight pouring over books and manuscripts and scrolls. Even with Amelia's help, he turned up only a few scraps of information.

And now there was a vampire stalking Alexandra.

Another_ vampire, _Kaleb corrected himself.

And if another vampire was interested in Alexandra, then there must have been something truly covetable about her.

_What am I going to do? …_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:**

Okay, so I finally got around to posting ... You can blame Henry David Thoreau, the school paper and newsletter, some sexual harassment, and a pretty stressful visit to the ER.

Anyway, I changed "Tara Anderson" to "Alexandra (Alex) Sherwood." There's no meaning behind "Sherwood" (well, techinically there is, but there's no specific reason I chose it, other than it sounds nice), but once you learn the rest of Alex's name, it sort of explains her. Also added a couple of new characters to the mix -- Rita and Madame Sharona. We'll see how they fit into the story later on.

This Chapter is meant to give Alex and Kaleb plans of action -- Alex must decide whether or not to confront Kaleb, and Kaleb must protect his territory and Alex from from this intruding vampire. (The portion from Kaleb's POV hasn't much changed from the last rewrite.)

I've got Chapters Six and Seven ready to go, but I'm not posting them right away. That would ruin any suspense I've created.

-heart-

Swarlos


	8. Chapter Six: An Incident

_**Notice:** The terms "bitch," "dumbass," and "ass" are used in this chapter._

****

* * *

Chapter Six:

**"An Incident"**

I spent the rest of the week watching Kaleb as closely as possible. From the corner of my eye, during our numerous classes, I discreetly scrutinized him.

Kaleb was taller than me, standing at six feet even. He had dark, shaggy, slightly curly hair that fell into his eyes and skin so pallid it was as if he'd never seen sunlight. His features perfectly proportioned, and his physique was to be envied by any athlete; he was surely allotted the leading role in the daydreams of many a teenage girl. And, of course, there were his enigmatic, sapphire-blue eyes.

Throughout my inspections, I was acutely aware of Kaleb's every movement; every time he shifted his body; every time he ran his hand through his hair; I noticed his every breath and even when he sat still-as-stone for long periods of time.

But I could discern any tell-tale, telepathic traits.

If Kaleb were reading the minds of those around him, he showed no signs. He barely acknowledged the presence of the others in the room. If at all possible, Kaleb even avoided me more than before, averting his eyes when I'd look at him.

I came to four conclusions.

One, Kaleb _was _telepathic. I had felt a constant pressure the week before from his attempts to force an entry into my mind. That pressure was gone now. I didn't try to read his thoughts; I was sure that I still wouldn't be able to, and trying would just give more of a reason to stay away.

Two, Kaleb was powerful, stronger than Rita and me combined. I could feel the damage he'd done to my brain. He'd ruptured something, hence the blood that came from my nose and the migraine headache I was cursed with for the remainder of that day.

Three, Kaleb wasn't going to approach me about what had happened on Friday. At least not right now. I needed to back off and give him his space. He was probably just as confused about this as I was.

And four, I had to tread carefully. Kaleb gave away no hints as to whether he thought me friend or foe, though it was more than likely the latter. And if he was as powerful as he seemed to be, then I definitely did _not _want to be on his bad side.

* * *

Kaleb spent the rest of the week watching Alexandra as closely as possible. From the corner of his eye, during the numerous classes he had transferred himself into, he discreetly scrutinized her.

Alexandra was easily five-foot-seven-inches. Her skin was fair, without blemish or imperfection, and her build was lean, yet muscled. She had long, rich brown hair that waved and curled just past her shoulder blades and mysterious violet eyes that were a swirled combination of deep blues and purples.

Throughout Kaleb's inspection, he was acutely aware of Alexandra's every movement; every time she shifted her body; every time she glanced in his direction; every breath; every heartbeat. Nothing escaped his perception.

But all of these things were ordinary, human traits. The only thing that baffled Kaleb was the girl's eyes. No human had eyes as powerful as those. He couldn't look into them without becoming lost in their violet depths. It was unnerving, even for a vampire such as Kaleb.

Kaleb compared his observations to the tidbits of information he'd gathered from Amelia's library and came to one, ultimate conclusion.

He'd been right — Alexandra Sherwood was no mere mortal.

Kaleb was unable to breach her mental barrier because she was telepathic, meaning that witch-blood ran through her veins, which was also the reason why her blood had smelled so irresistible sweet to him — all witches' blood did to vampires.

But Kaleb had not had many dealings with witches and was not well-versed in their ways, so he was forced to consult Amelia and her texts.

Alexandra herself was not a witch. She was untrained in the craft. She had either been exiled from her Covent, disowned her Covent and become a rogue, or didn't have the slightest idea of what she truly was.

Had Alexandra been trained, she'd have recognized Kaleb as a vampire; she and her Covent — or even on her own — would have immediately tracked Kaleb down and killed him.

Kaleb suspected that something had happened to Alexandra's birth parents and she was with a different family — a human family, from the smell of their house.

But she had been trained somewhat with her telepathy. And _that, _more specifically, was why Kaleb could not read her thoughts.

And now, after solving the mystery of Alexandra Sherwood, Kaleb knew what to do about this newborn vampire trespassing in Breslin territory. If its target was Alexandra, then Kaleb would keep a close watch and lie in wait. And then, when it moves to strike, Kaleb would intervene, explaining that it was on his family's territory and that it could no longer hunt here.

_Problem solved, _Kaleb thought.

* * *

_There she is. Quick and easy …_

I'd stayed an extra two hours to close up the bookstore. Angie had received a call and had to leave. Some sort of family emergency. She asked if I would close up tonight and Saturday night, too; she'd pay me double-overtime. I'd have said yes, even without the cash incentive.

I had just exited the shopping mall and was walking through the lamp-lit parking lot. It was a warm night, so I didn't have a jacket. But the skin on my arms prickled as though I cold wind had just blown past.

I was immediately on guard. I cast my mind out, like a fishing net, sensing the thoughts of those still inside the building.

_There she is. Quick and easy …_

The second I heard those words, I whirled around to face the person who had thought them. But there was no one behind me.

I turned to continue to my car, but was grabbed from behind. Before I could even blink, my arm was twisted behind me at a painful angle and a hand was clamped around my throat. I grasped the wrist attached to the hand around my neck; the skin beneath my hand felt like ice.

I glimpsed the nightmare I'd had the night of my stakeout.

Kaleb … His hand crushing my esophagus … His predatory gaze … That fiendish grin …

My heart pounded out an irregular beat. A dark chuckle sounded echoed in my left ear.

"You're afraid. That's good," hissed a male voice, not belonging to Kaleb Breslin. His breath stung my eyes and burned the skin of my cheek.

It was then that I recognized that stench.

"You were in my house!" I growled. My eyes narrowed dangerously, fury bubbling inside.

He chuckled again, nuzzling my cheek. I inhaled sharply, his body temperature a shock to me.

"Mmm … You smell even better in person …"

"Go to hell," I hissed, using my free arm to elbow him in the ribs. My assailant was unaffected.

I panicked. I had barely touched my elbow to his ribcage; it was more of a tap. But to him it should have felt like a knockout punch. I felt his chest rumble with laughter.

"I'm not your average predator, sweetheart. You're going to have to do a lot better than that."

"Fine," I said, relaxing in his iron grip. "Have it your way."

I rammed my elbow into his ribs a second time — full force. I was rewarded with a sickening _snap._

Surprised, my attacker reeled back, releasing me. He clutched at the base of his ribcage.

"What the — you little bitch! How did you do that?" he snarled.

I cracked my knuckles, a grim smile on my face. "You picked the wrong girl to mess with …"

"Yeah, we'll see about that!" he threatened, shifting his weight into a crouch.

I followed suit, easing into my own fighting stance. I gazed into his crazed eyes and thrust my mind into his, seeing exactly what it was he planned to do.

But his eyes disturbed me … They were the eyes of a murderer, the eyes I saw every night in my dreams.

I nearly lost my concentration.

He charged me, and I dodged him easily, moving at a blinding speed. We now stood where the other had the moment before.

"You're quick," he commented, readying himself for his next attack.

"You're not," I retorted.

I went on the offensive. He feigned to his right, which I knew he would do, and then came at me from his left, arms outstretched for a grab.

I stepped to the side. As he raced past, I took hold of the nearest arm and turned, dragging him with me and throwing him across the empty parking lot. He crashed into the side of a Dumpster, the metal crumpling inward and he with it.

"You're right," I said softly. "Quick and easy."

* * *

"Aw, man!" laughed the vampire next to him at the bar. "Did y'hear what happened to Donny?"

Kaleb shook his head.

"Got the crap kicked outta him by some girl!"

Kaleb raised an eyebrow. His sister tore vampires limb from limb on an almost regular basis.

"So?"

The vampire leaned in. "A _human _girl … Or so Donny claims," he said with a shrug.

_It's too coincidental to be a coincidence, _Kaleb thought. He snorted, playing as though he didn't believe a word.

"He's out back," said the vampire, nodding toward the fire exit, "tryin' to get together a hunting party to go after 'er."

"I've _gotta_ hear this one …" Kaleb said, leaving the bar, still playing the skeptic.

"You'll get a kick out of it!" the vampire called as Kaleb slipped through the back door into the rear alley.

Kaleb hadn't found any fresh scent trails in town and so decided to venture into the neighboring city, where the original trail had led. He'd found one of the nightclubs vampires were notorious for running and thought he might learn something about whoever had the audacity to intrude upon his territory.

"Tell it again, Donny," said someone in a serious tone.

"Yes!" cried another in between laughs. "Do tell!"

Kaleb stayed in the shadows, leaning against the brick wall of the night club. There was a host of immortals in the alley, lounging on wooden crates, stacked palettes, and even the Dumpster, all surrounding a single vampire.

Kaleb recognized his scent instantaneously. This "Donny" was the newborn that had been traipsing all throughout the Breslins' territory.

"Alright, so I'm stalking this girl at the mall, and at first, everything's silky smooth." Donny turned to include all of his audience. Most were here to poke fun. However, there were a few who were truly curious.

"But then, this bitch starts to fight back. She dodges my attacks and then she throws me into a Dumpster! It was like she could read my mind!"

Kaleb stiffened at his last words. _Alexandra._

"And she even broke two of my ribs!"

"What did she look like?" asked someone.

"Brown hair and purple contacts," answered Donny. _"Smokin'_ bod, too."

There were a few murmurs. Many kept their thoughts to themselves.

_This guy's an idiot._

_I wonder if it's true … But I doubt a _human _could do all of that._

_This girl is probably just some hooker that turned him down. Can't blame her …_

Kaleb smiled at the last theory.

"And you plan on going after her again?" questioned one of the more believing.

"Bitch needs to learn a lesson!" Donny crowed.

"You mean, 'Dumbass Donny needs another ass-kicking!'" shouted a female voice.

The gathered crowd erupted in laughter. Kaleb joined in, snickering silently.

Donny growled in irritation.

"So, what you're asking is that a few of us go along with you? Am I right?"

"Yes."

"And what would we get out of it?"

"A taste of her sweet, sweet blood, my friend."

That did it. Alexandra was done for. One mention of her blood, and Donny had nearly every vampire's mouth watering.

They had all jumped to the conclusion that Donny's little prey was a witch. Half were smart enough to realize that taking out a witch would bring its entire Covent down upon them. The other half were like Donny, only interested in tasting her blood.

Either way, Alexandra was in grave danger. Even without a hunting party, Donny would attack again. But Donny was successful in gathering a party, and killing him now would not have stopped others from searching for Alexandra.

Kaleb could only stick to his original plan — wait for Donny to move in and cut him off at the pass.

Kaleb lingered in the alley until Donny had collected four volunteers. They decided to attack tomorrow night.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

As I promised to two of my reviewers, if I made some progress with Chapter Eight, I'd post Six sooner. Well, I'm almost finished with Eight, so here's Six!

Anywho, in this Chapter we've got some assumptions, misconceptions, action, and a taste of what's to come.

The next Chapter shall be ... well, I won't spoil anything. -wink-

-heart-

Swarlos

* * *

_**Disclamer:** I do not own the manaufactering company that makes the garbage recepticle known as a "Dumpster."_


	9. Chapter Seven: Second Time's The Charm

_**Notice: **The terms "bitch," "ass," "hell," and "shit" are used in this Chapter._

* * *

**Chapter Seven:**

**"Second Time's the Charm"**

The mall at which Alexandra worked, like the town it was located at the edge of, was surrounded by forest, an island in a sea of green. Kaleb was hidden, perched in a tree that gave him the perfect view of the entire parking lot and all of the mall entrances.

The sun had set, and the lights in the parking lot had blinked on, casting circles of illumination onto the black asphalt. The warm afternoon had turned into a cool evening. The parking lot was almost empty, save for the vehicles of the nightshift security guards and a few mall employees working late.

Alexandra appeared outside of an entrance and polished off a snack and drink. She took her time walking to her car, which was parked in one of the farthest spaces. She acted as though nothing had happened to her in the same parking lot just twenty-four hours ago.

A light breeze wafted past Kaleb. It carried Alexandra's delicious scent and that of … others.

Kaleb sat bolt upright, tasting the air.

The newborn was here. With his posse. They were about to make their move. And they were ravenous.

Kaleb moved along the branch, crouching so as not to give away his position. His keen eyes scoured the forest more than three hundred yards away, on the other side of the parking lot, and then the open space of the parking lot itself.

Kaleb could feel the consciousnesses of those within the shopping center and sense the black void that was Alexandra's mind.

_No … Not entirely a black void …_ Kaleb thought, sensing something different.

Alexandra's mind wasn't completely closed off as per usual. She had opened it. She was using her telepathy. This was Kaleb's chance to —

_Payback, bitch!_

Donny.

Kaleb's eyes snapped in the direction from whence he had heard those thoughts, tensed, ready to pounce.

But he was too late.

The vampires had Alexandra in their sights. She turned to face them. They had her surrounded. Alexandra exchanged words with them, doing something with her hands, cracking each of her knuckles and then the joints of each finger, it seemed. One of the pack prepared to attack.

Kaleb moved to intercede. _I'll not have blood shed on my territory!_

But he froze, awestruck at what he saw before him.

_What is she_ doing? _… How is that_ possible?

* * *

I knew the second I stepped outside that my new "friend" from the previous night had returned.

_With reinforcements, from the smell of things,_ I thought, delicately sniffing the air. That choking scent was overwhelming, searing the inside of my nose and forcing my eyes to water.

I wolfed down what was left of my soft pretzel, my fruit smoothie serving as a chaser, and then tossed the Styrofoam cup into the garbage can near the delivery entrance to the bookstore.

I blocked the distraction of the stench that perfumed the air from my mind as I stepped off the curb and began to cross the almost-empty lot. My mind was already searching for that of my "friend."

_Payback, bitch!_

I turned. _Yep. That was definitely directed toward me._

But it wasn't my "friend" that was waiting for me. It was his backup. Four of them, one female and three males. They spread out, encircling me, keeping a fair distance betwixt us. And then my "friend" stepped forward, completing the circle.

"Man, you guys really reek," I remarked, their stench washing over me. "I mean, _you_ four don't smell as bad as_ him,"_ — I nodded at their leader — "but seriously — you guys stink."

"Payback," hissed my "friend," grinning fiendishly.

I forced my mind into his again. His name was Donny. And he wanted revenge.

"'Payback,' Donny? I think it'll be more of repeat performance."

Donny was taken aback by my knowing his name. I used his moment of confusion to invade the thoughts of his comrades.

The male to his left was a rather large fellow — _much_ bigger than me — with a shaved head. His name was Tyler, and he was certain that I'd go down easily.

The male to Tyler's left, standing just behind me, was Arnold — a tall, gangly man with ginger hair. Arnold was just hoping that Donny would honor his promise to the four.

The male on Donny's right — Lewis — looked crazier than Donny. He stared at me as though I were a water buffalo drinking from a watering hole, and he the mighty lion stalking in the high grasses.

And standing between Lewis and Arnold was the female — Nikki. She was just along for the ride, here to help her "mate" if things got to be too much for him.

"Donny, do you really want to do this? Especially in front of your girlfriend?" I nodded over my shoulder at Nikki, giving him the chance to walk away.

A low hiss sounded behind me, and a thought flashed in Nikki's mind. _Like I would ever be with Donny! He's too stupid for his own good!_

"You're right, Nikki," I whispered loudly to her. "He is too stupid for his own good."

Amusement twinkled in Nikki's eyes, though she kept her expression as blank as possible.

Without haste, I commenced the ritual cracking of my knuckles. I continued talking, stalling for time as I explored the minds of my opponents and studied them.

"So, it's a fight you're looking for, eh, Donny? A rematch?"

"That's right," Donny replied in a menacing tone that was supposed to strike fear into me. "A rematch."

"Well, then how do you want to do this?" I asked, looking each of them up and down; I paused at Lewis. His eyes were unbelievably wild. Somewhere out there was an insane asylum with a missing permanent resident.

"Should I take out Lewis first, and then Arnold, Nikki, and Tyler?" I glanced at Tyler, who set his jaw. "Or should I start with the latter and go in reverse?"

"Either way you look at it, Donny," I said with a shrug, "I'm saving _your_ ass for last."

With those final words, the thoughts of Donny and his crew went in ten different directions at once. It was almost hard to keep up.

Nikki's curiosity had been peaked — she was extremely interested in my means of following up on my threats. But she was also worried about Lewis, her "mate." She desperately hoped he wouldn't do anything rash and end up getting hurt.

Lewis … was the very essence of lunacy. He'd already formulated a plan in his mind that involved him double-crossing everyone except Nikki. He was going to tear them limb from limb and leave Nikki to deal with me. And then they would share the spoils of their conquest …

Tyler was, to say the least, pissed off. He raged at my implication of being able to defeat him. He didn't care about his and Donny's agreement anymore. He wanted me dead.

Arnold was torn. My threats had made him uneasy, but he wanted so very much what had been promised them all. Part of him wanted to split, to ditch Donny and the others; but part of him was so hungry … he'd do almost anything for a sip, a mere taste.

And Donny, of course, was left angry from my insults, confused by my knowledge of everyone's names, fearful of my threats, and thinking that he still had everything under control. I almost pitied the poor fool. Almost.

However, it was the thoughts of Arnold and Lewis that perturbed me the greatest.

Arnold was "hungry." And apparently, ganging up on me had something to do with satisfying that hunger. What exactly had Donny promised them?

And Lewis was literally envisioning himself tearing the heads, arms, and legs from those around him. I could just hear the cuckoo clock announcing the hour …

If it came to a fight — which it would — it was Lewis and Tyler I'd have to worry about. Experience revealed Donny to be a pushover. Nikki didn't want to get involved unless absolutely necessary. And Arnold would probably run scared once he'd seen what I was capable of.

"You're _mine!"_ bellowed Tyler, breaking both my concentration and their ranks and charging headlong at me, moving much faster than I had assumed his bulk would allow. His arm was pulled back as far as possible, muscles bulging and tendons strained, hand tightened into a fist.

I adopted an identical stance, racing forward to close the gap. Our fists met, and a chorus of _snaps_ and _cracks_ sounded.

Tyler retreated only two steps, howling in pain. But then he was on the offensive again. I had barely enough time to consider the fact that a few of those _snaps_ and _cracks_ had belong to my own hand.

With an animalistic roar, Tyler rushed me, feigning to both sides and then coming up the middle. But I had read the attack as soon as the thought had popped into his head.

When Tyler had come within range, I roundhouse kicked him Chuck Norris style. I had to actually put some _effort_ into it.

Tyler went flying across the parking lot and into the nearest street light, about fifty feet away.

The twenty-foot column of metal crumpled, bending backwards and landing on the roof of an expensive truck. The headlights began to flash, and the alarm system belted out a few notes before I silenced it with an unnoticeable wave of my hand.

I used my telepathy and peripheral vision to observe his comrades' reactions, each of my senses on high alert, each of my nerve endings a live wire. My encounter with Tyler had exposed something crucial — whoever the hell these _psychos_ were, they weren't your average, _everyday_ psychos. And yes, there was a difference.

They all carried the same pungent stench. Donny and Tyler had moved faster than any normal person could. I had to use _force_ when fighting them.

_What the hell are these freaks?!_ shouted a part of me — the sane part. That part was ready to lose its cool and run away, screaming its head off.

But there was another part of me — a stronger, more dominant part that I had never known existed — that wanted to fight to the last man standing; it found the prospect of opponents that were equally matched to me exhilarating.

My mind was equally divided, each half struggling for control.

I checked the standings of those around me in an attempt to clear my head.

Nikki was impressed; admiration shone in her caramel-toned eyes. She liked the idea that I wasn't going down without a fight. She was also gauging my chances of survival, and my once bleak odds were looking up.

Lewis was, well … still crazy. My ability to defend myself had apparently excited him, magnifying the craze of his eyes to a level I hadn't thought could be achieved by a single person.

(The sensible half of my mind quaked in fear, but the alien half was suddenly fully awake, vigorously trying to suppress my sanity.)

Arnold was ready to bolt; Donny had said that I'd been able to fight him off last night, but Arnold didn't think I'd have stood a chance against Tyler. Yet there I was, breaking Tyler's hand into tiny bits and kicking him across parking lots.

Donny was feeling doubtful. He wasn't sure if coming back for me had been the brightest of his ideas.

"No shit, Sherlock!" I spat at Donny, my eyes burning into his. "I doubt you have _any_ bright ideas!"

Nikki snickered behind me, enjoying Donny's torment, and Arnold nervously shifted from foot to foot, indecisive about whether or not he should leave; things were getting too complicated for his taste. Donny, however, looked at me with wide eyes full of shock.

"So, you _can_ read my mind …" he whispered.

"Thank you, Captain _Obvious,"_ retorted a silky voice from behind. It was Nikki.

Donny shot her a spiteful glare, at which she snorted defiantly.

Nikki was quite content to let me alone. I had proven myself a worthy adversary, and she didn't believe that so many versus one was an honorable tactic.

Lewis was in the midst of calculating and revising his plan.

Tyler was MIA. He'd run off, tail between his legs, to nurse his wounds.

And Arnold had finally made his decision. He spun around and high-tailed it out of there.

"Anyone else want to follow Arnie's example and get lost?" I questioned, offering escape a second time.

"Shut up!" snapped Donny. His upper lip pulled back over his teeth as a growl came from deep within his throat. There was a renewed hatred in his eyes.

"You're _dead …"_ he hissed.

"Bring it," I challenged, the half of me with — apparently — a death wish smothering its rational counterpart.

And then it was as though someone had pushed the slow-motion button on a remote control. I realized it was a sudden rush of adrenaline pumping through me, working overtime. It made everything slow down. I saw everything so clearly and in such great detail.

Nikki stared sideways at Lewis, her eyes silently beseeching him not to do anything foolish. She stood at the ready to stop him, but was unsure if she should become involved herself, her stance twisted only partly toward Lewis and her eyes clouded. She could see that his self-control was waning …

Lewis had Donny in his sights, a deadly glare that would have wilted flowers. He ignored Nikki's unspoken pleas, thinking only of the many possible outcomes of Donny directly attacking me. His hands were tightened into fists at his sides, and he was breathing heavily, as though he were about to explode, a volcano about to erupt. And the result of Lewis losing control like that would not be very pretty …

Donny was fed up with my impudence. He wasn't about to return to his master empty-handed, defeated a second time by a mere mortal. He released a feral snarl and then sprang at me, flying as though the air were thick and colloidal.

_"Master"? "Mere mortal"? What?…_

But I didn't have any longer to ponder the meaning of Donny's thoughts. It was time to attack. I crouched and then leaped forward, planning to meet Donny mid-air and shove my fist into his face with enough force that he wouldn't get a third shot at me.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ooh! A cliffhanger! Is that too mean of me?

Oh, well. -shrug- Guess you'll just have to wait for Chapter Eight, huh?

Until then ...

-heart-

Swarlos

P.S. I used certain words in this Chapter quite **DELIBERATELY. **Can you figure out which words and why???

P.S.S. I apologize for the long wait. Very, VERY busy ... So much to do, that I can't even begin to list it.

P.S.S.S. I also apologize if I did not reply to your reviews ... I read them, but didn't remember which one's I'd already replied to. But thank you for them, nonetheless! They are much appreciated.

P.S.S.S.S. **REVIEW! IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY REVIEWING THIS FIC, START NOW! ARRGGH!**

* * *

_Thanks to bluedinasour for unintenionally reminding me to add some details to this Chapter._

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the manufacturing company that makes Styrofoam, nor that which makes the garbage recepticle known as a "Dumpster."_


	10. Chapter Eight: Don't Be a Hero

**Chapter Eight:**

**"Don't Be a Hero"**

Kaleb could only watch in amazement as Alexandra dispatched the largest of Donny's band.

Maybe she had been trained in Witchcraft — to some extent. But wouldn't a Witch use a spell or incantation of some sort?…

_Now is not the time for intellectual insights, _Kaleb scolded himself, shifting his weight on the tree limb.

He quickly read the minds of the gang in the moment after Alexandra had _kicked _the vampire across the parking lot.

The female was awed that a human could survive that long against a pack of vampires. She didn't want to fight Alexandra, but had an obligation to the vampire beside her.

The female's crazed mate could barely control his thirst. He struggled to restrain himself as he developed a plan that would ensure Alexandra's blood for his mate and himself.

The vampire who'd been defeated had run off in shame.

The other male was scared out of his wits, preparing to follow suit.

Donny began to doubt his plan as it fell to shambles around him.

_Perhaps this attempt on Alexandra's life will fall apart completely and take care of itself … _hoped Kaleb silently.

However, the situation chose to follow a different route.

The frightened male with ginger hair fled. Alexandra offered Donny and what remained of his hunting party the chance to leave unscathed. Donny shouted for her to shut up and then leaped forward, Alexandra dashing headlong into his attack.

_Of course, _thought Kaleb, mentally sighing as he dropped to the ground below and shot off in Alexandra's direction at top speed. _The second I think optimistically, it all goes south._

Kaleb slammed into Donny just as his hands reached out for Alexandra. The two went flying between the vampire couple, turning their heads. They landed, skidding to a stop some distance away.

Within the second, Kaleb was on his feet and beside Alexandra, who had caught herself with her hands, using them to flip gracefully onto her feet.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she gasped, her violet eyes a mix of emotions that Kaleb didn't bother trying to decipher, lest he wanted to be pulled into their depths.

It was obvious that she was surprised by Kaleb's sudden appearance and puzzled about his ability to pummel one such as Donny. But there was another …

_Perhaps a thrill for the fight? _Kaleb speculated.

"This is no time to be a hero," Alexandra hissed, moving around Kaleb. "Get out of here. Go home."

"Well, what do we have here?" Donny sauntered back to stand between the female and her mate. "Kaleb Breslin, isn't it? I've heard _so _much about you …"

Alexandra, shooting Kaleb a look of question, took slow, measured steps until she was directly opposite the remaining trio.

Kaleb followed, standing close enough to feel the heat of the mortal girl's blood as her heart beat out a steady throb to keep it flowing. He could smell her, taste her …

"You know these psychos?" murmured Alexandra, breaking Kaleb's train of thought.

"Can't say that I've had the pleasure," he replied, calling forth an iron will.

_That _will not _happen again, _Kaleb vowed.

"Well, Donny seems to know _you _pretty well," she pointed out.

"'Donny'?" Kaleb questioned, glancing down at Alexandra as she eyed each of the vampires. "_You _seem to know _him _pretty well."

Alexandra peeked up at Kaleb, her glance fleeting. "He … told me his name."

"It seems I have been smiled upon tonight," continued Donny, ignoring Alexandra and Kaleb's quiet exchange. There was a new light in his eyes, a vicious light of victory.

"My master shall be quite pleased with me …"

"Listen, Donny." Alexandra was going to grant them one last chance for mercy. "You and your sidekicks can still leave — no strings attached. Although, I would appreciate it if you didn't try to —"

A peal of manic laughter echoed forth from Donny. He threw his head back as though he were howling at the moon.

_My intervention just made things a thousand times worse … _realized Kaleb, an inkling of dread coloring his thoughts. _Donny sees us _both_ as prizes now._

"I think we should leave," voiced the female.

"There's no way I'm backing off now!" barked Donny. "You two, take care of the girl!"

The vampire couple made no move while Donny came at Kaleb full force, determined to annihilate the other vampire in the name of his master.

_Whoever the hell _that _is, _thought Kaleb, readying his own counterattack and invading Donny's mind at the same time, looking for the identity of his employer.

But then Alexandra threw herself at Kaleb, using her shoulder as a battering ram, trying to push him out of the way. When Kaleb didn't budge, she used all of her strength, breaking Kaleb's concentration and knocking them both out of harm's way as Donny raced past.

Alexandra landed atop Kaleb and was already pushing herself off when Donny whirled around, enraged that she had extended the life of his foe by a mere two seconds. He charged again, giving Kaleb only milliseconds to react. He shoved Alexandra to the side and leaped to his feet, right into the path of his attacker.

A small gasp issued from the human as Donny ran right into Kaleb's open hand. His grip tightened, constricting, and Donny's windpipe slowly collapsed as his fingers clawed uselessly at the hand choking him.

"Kaleb," said Alexandra sternly. She was at his side. Kaleb could feel the heat of her blood again.

"Kaleb, let him go. I think he's learned his lesson."

Kaleb hesitated, his eyes burning into Donny's as he forced his mind into the trespasser's.

_Don't set foot onto my territory again, do you hear me?_

Donny's eyes registered that he understood.

When Kaleb still hadn't released Donny, Alexandra placed her hand upon Kaleb's arm. It burned Kaleb's flesh, sending a searing, electric sensation down the length of his arm and back, then into his torso, where it then radiated throughout the rest of his body.

It felt as though Alexandra had used some sort of spell or paranormal power with a crippling effect upon Kaleb; however she flinched away, as though she had been stung or shocked as well.

_She felt it, too, _Kaleb thought, his hand falling away from his captor's throat. _So what _was_ it?_

Donny flashed back to his comrades.

"Let's go," he struggled to wheeze, glancing fleetingly at Kaleb and then Alexandra. He walked off toward the forest, taking only a few steps as he waited for the others, his pride clearly wounded.

Kaleb quickly read Donny's thoughts.

_So, Richard's behind this … And Donny's his puppet. If Richard were out for revenge — tracking down Dani and me — this wouldn't be much of a shocker. But what would _he _want with Alexandra?_

"Come on," murmured the female to her mate, turning to leave and placing a hand on his shoulder. She looked Alexandra straight in the eye, a silent apology meant for the human that Kaleb read in the vampiress' thoughts as he searched for her knowledge of what had happened that night.

Nikki — that was her name — knew only that she was to receive a portion of Alexandra's blood if she assisted in the human's death. Nothing of Donny's _true _motive or master.

"No," snarled the male, shrugging Nikki's hand off. "I did not come along to leave with nothing. I _will_ have her blood!"

"These guys just don't _quit …" _Alexandra muttered beneath her breath, exasperated.

Kaleb eased his consciousness into that of the male as he slipped in front of Alexandra, who refused to be protected and shoved him aside non too gently.

"Stay back," Kaleb whispered.

Alexandra snorted contemptuously, rolling her eyes. "Like I'm going home without getting a piece of _him."_

Lewis — the male —was mad with lust for Alexandra's blood. He'd been banking on Donny's disposal of Kaleb, so that he, in turn, could knock off Donny and gorge himself upon Alexandra. Nikki had been cut out of the equation entirely in his quest for blood.

Lewis hissed at Alexandra, baring his predator's fangs.

Alexandra stayed calm, her expression — save her raised eyebrows — blank.

The vampire rushed her, feigning in a zigzag pattern.

Alexandra pushed at Kaleb again, shouting for him to move, and then dropped to the asphalt of the parking lot. She kicked out her leg, sweeping it around. Lewis fell onto his back, his legs knocked out from under him, and Alexandra, using the same leg, hammered the heel of her foot into his throat so swiftly that the motions were slightly blurred even to Kaleb.

Kaleb, standing immobile as he watched a human fend off an immortal being, had thought that Nikki would have interceded, but the vampiress simply stood by, shaking her head.

Lewis grabbed hold of Alexandra's ankle and sat up, pulling her closer. He pushed the hem of her jeans up to expose the flesh of her calf, opening his mouth in a desperate attempt to feed.

Grunting, Alexandra twisted, bringing about her other foot, which was aimed for Lewis' chest. The toe of her Converse All-Star made contact with and cracked the vampire's sternum with an audible _snap, _throwing him back.

Hissing in pain, Lewis climbed to his feet. But Alexandra was already standing. She dashed forward, smashing her fist into the vampire's face and sending him half-flying, half-stumbling into the arms of his awaiting mate.

"You _idiot,"_ Nikki spat, pushing him away from her.

Alexandra shook her hand, as if to rid it of some sensation, and turned on her heel to face Kaleb, who stared at her with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to speak — more than likely to say that Kaleb was only getting in her way — but her words were abruptly cut off as she was thrown face-down to the ground.

Fiercely, she struggled beneath the weight of Lewis, who had attacked her from behind. Alexandra managed to roll onto her back, but her arms were pinned against her sides as Lewis' jaws snapped hungrily at her throat. She spat defiantly into his eyes.

Lewis pulled back, howling in anguish, one hand loosing its grip on Alexandra's shoulder to scratch at his eyes.

Kaleb used the momentary distraction to grab Lewis, lift him, and run him into the ground, leaving the parking lot with a short-lived tremor and a sizeable impression of the vampire's back.

Knowing that a third attempt on Alexandra's life that night would result in his immediate and final demise, Lewis stayed down until Kaleb had turned back to the mortal girl. Once Kaleb's back was to him, Lewis ran off after Donny; Nikki reluctantly followed.

Kaleb extended his hand to Alexandra, who had pushed herself into a sitting position. She eyed it warily, then grasped it firmly. Despite the feeling of severe electrocution, Kaleb pulled Alexandra to her feet, letting go of her hand as soon as possible.

_That's _twice, Kaleb thought, flexing his fingers to rid himself of the residual tingling. _It must have something to do with skin-to-skin contact._

Alexandra searched his face, looking for an answer that neither of them held.

"Uh, thanks," she mumbled, massaging her hand with her other behind her back, "for, um, helping me with those creeps." She thrust her chin in the direction the vampires had run off in.

"No problem, A—" Kaleb replied, then realized that the two had never been properly introduced. "I'm Kaleb. Kaleb Breslin." He was about to offer his hand, but thought better of it.

"Alexandra Sherwood," she said. "Alex for short."

_Did I just make an ally, _wondered Kaleb, _or reveal myself to an enemy?_

Their self-introductions were followed by a short, tense silence.

"So," Alexandra — Alex said. "What was with that guy trying to bite me?"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

OOOHHH! _NOW_ what happens?!

After all that action, what happens next?

I dunno. Eheh.

This Chapter was completely from Kaleb's POV, which I thought my Fic needed a little more of, just so that we got a better feel of him. We had some more action, too, which I enjoyed writing. And NOW we have an actual base for a potential friendship between Kaleb and Alex!!! YAY! I like it this way a helluva lot more than the way I wrote in my previous "Half-Breeds."

So, no one really understood my "deliberate" use of certain words in my last Chapter ... Alex was DIVIDED about her feelings of whether she should fight or leave. One HALF was scared out of its wits' the second HALF was all for a bloodbath. HALF-Breed. HALF. Get it??? Her human half was the scared half, and her "other" half wanted to fight.

-heart-

Swarlos

P.S. I KNOW. I SUCK AT UPDATING REGULARLY. I'M SORRY. (DON'T EAT ME!!!)

P.S.S. I forgot to ask this in the last Chapter, but did anyone notice that _other _thing that Alex did? Involving the truck? Keep it in mind for later Chapters.

* * *

_Thanks to Wolf of Midnight's call for, once again, catching my spelling error. I had such a lovely streak going there, too ... -sniff-_

_**Disclaimer:** Wish as I may, I do no own the clothing brand Converse._


	11. Chapter Nine: Coming Clean

**Chapter Nine:**

**"Coming Clean"**

I groaned, leaning my head against the doorframe. "Is it Monday already?"

"No, but I think we should talk."

I glanced over my shoulder, back inside the house. Ben would be up soon to watch his cartoons. Monica would wake shortly after to tell Ben to turn the TV down and then make herself a pot of coffee.

I looked myself over. I'd been in the middle of my third bowl of Lucky Charms, my favorite cereal, and about to slap raspberry jam on some toast, so I was still in my PJs — blue plaid, flannel pants and a white tank top with spaghetti straps. Not exactly appropriate when talking to Kaleb Breslin at 8:43 on a Sunday morning.

"Um, could you wait here for a minute?" I asked. "I sort of need to change."

Kaleb smiled prettily. "Of course."

"I'll be right back."

I raced upstairs, changed clothes, and brushed my teeth in record timing, fully certain that neither Ben nor Monica would catch me moving faster than the average human being.

Still, I hurried to return to my unexpected visitor.

* * *

"_So. What was with that guy trying to bite me?" I asked after Lewis had run off._

"_Beats me," Kaleb replied with a shrug, seeming not the slightest bit winded and also evading my gaze. He was lying, of course; I didn't need my telepathy to see that._

"_Well, I think we should get going before security realizes what's been going on," he continued._

_I snorted. "Half of the cameras in the parking lot don't even work. And I think those goons would have been smart enough to disable the ones that do. Security will never know what happened."_

"_Nonetheless, I think we should be getting home."_

_Kaleb was trying to avoid an interrogation. He knew I had questions — about his sudden appearance, about his unnatural abilities, about the weird, electric current that passed between us — and he either didn't want to deal with the onslaught of inquiries, or wanted some time to orchestrate a web of lies that could explain away everything._

_But I wasn't going to stand there in a mall parking lot and put the squeeze on the guy who'd randomly showed up and helped me kick some creepy, stalker-ass. There was no sense in pushing Kaleb for answers … for the time being._

"_You're probably right," I said, going along. "I guess I'll see you on Monday then?"_

"_Yeah. Monday."_

_And then we went our separate ways …_

* * *

When I reopened the front door to find Kaleb Breslin leaning against the railing of the porch, I was wearing a yellow T-shirt, jeans, and my navy Converse All-Star high-tops; my hair was tied back into a high ponytail.

I was apprehensive about Kaleb's surprise visit, seeing as how I'd never given him my address. But my hunger for answers overrode any unease.

"Up for a walk?" I asked, skipping down the porch's steps, a twinkle in my eyes.

"Where to?" Kaleb questioned as he followed me along the side of Monica's house — past the neatly trimmed hedges, past the glass doors that led into the kitchen — and into the back yard.

"Someplace a little more private." I kept watch for any movement behind the windows, not wanting Monica to catch me sneaking off into the forest with some strange boy. "You don't mind a little nature, do you, Kaleb?…"

* * *

I'd really hoped that Kaleb would have suggested that we run after walking for those first ten minutes. I enjoyed running between the trees and hurdling over the underbrush much more than trudging _around_ everything.

But Kaleb kept silent, and we were nowhere near our destination. He was walking behind me, just off my shoulder, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. Aside from the miniscule crease between his eyebrows, Kaleb's face was devoid of any emotion.

I cleared my throat to gain his attention. "You know, if we were to _run, _we could get there a heck of a lot faster."

Kaleb looked down at me, caught off guard by my suggestion. One of my eyebrows shot up in response, as if to say, "Unless you have any _better_ ideas?"

He shrugged. "You lead."

Without a word, I shot off into the green depths of the forest, though not running at usual all-out pace. Two reasons.

One, I was wearing jeans — not as comfortable to run in as shorts, and this pair was one I particularly didn't want to run right out of.

And two, Kaleb did not need to know just how fast I could be. He may have helped me out last night, but that didn't automatically place him in the "Ally" category.

So, I ran at what _I _considered to be a leisurely rate. Kaleb kept up easily enough, and we arrived at the heart of the forest — my favorite place — within moments. We stopped at the fringe of the clearing, confronted with the sight of the mammoth tree in its center.

A silent sigh of contentment escaped through my lips, the spell of the clearing settling over me, securely wrapping me in its soothing embrace. The spell calmed any shaky nerves I'd had prior to my arrival. I crossed to the trunk of the giant tree, my fingers brushing gently over the ridges of the bark.

"Come here often?" asked Kaleb from behind, standing halfway between the edge of the clearing and the tree.

I turned to face him. He was looking at the pyramid of stones I used to practice.

"Sometimes," I answered, pressing my back to the trunk of the tree, my hands splayed out behind me, ankles crossed. "To think."

Kaleb nodded, his eyes nervously flickering toward me and then away. He wasn't afraid of me, or intimidated, but it was as though he had something to lose by speaking with me in private, as though something was at stake.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"

His eyes met my unwavering, inquisitive gaze … and he was instantly trapped. Cornered. Ensnared.

That glint of doubt Kaleb had tried so hard to conceal had broken through, and like a shark that catches the scent of blood in water, I closed in and struck. My hold, however, was unsteady. Kaleb's mental barrier was still strong; I had merely fractured it.

Kaleb stared at me, mortified.

"Damn it," I muttered under the breath that hissed between my clenched teeth. I forced my eyes shut, severing what little purchase I'd managed to secure in Kaleb's mind.

I was breaking the ethics of telepathy. I had no solid reason to enter Kaleb's consciousness without his permission. And if I wanted answers from him, tearing them from his head was not the way to go.

"Sorry," I apologized, eyes still closed. My fingernails bit into the bark at my back, gouging ten crescent-shaped wounds into the tree.

"It's just a —"

"'Force of habit'?" Kaleb finished.

I watched Kaleb through hooded eyes, peering through the narrowed slits. He stood on edge, muscles tense, yet his voice was nonchalant as curiosity flashed through his sapphire eyes. _He must be wondering if he can do the same to me …_

"Yeah," I said aloud. "Force of habit."

"I know what you mean. It's okay."

I could feel it then — the pressure of Kaleb's mind trying to swathe itself around mine. He was pushing in from every angle, prodding for any weak points, any places of vulnerability. But he would find none.

"Don't," I cautioned, eyes fully closed, head cocked to the side, and one finger raised in front of me in warning. "Don't do that."

My eyes snapped open then, unleashing their ferocious, burning power. Kaleb withdrew his consciousness swiftly, like the return of a yo-yo to its handler.

"How long have you been able to do that?" he questioned, suddenly becoming defensive. That was good — I played best when on the offense.

I snorted delicately, the fierceness in my gaze fading. Did he know _nothing _of his gift?

No, I didn't believe that. Kaleb was no ignoramus when it came to his telepathy. He was just playing with me, toying with me, feeling me out.

"Telepathy isn't something you _do," _I replied, leaning all of my weight against the tree trunk.

I crossed my arms over my chest and drew my right foot up along the tree so that my knee was pointed outward. It doubled as both an offensive and defensive maneuver. I could easily use my right foot to push off from the tree and execute an attack. Or, if Kaleb tried to pull something, I could launch myself out of harm's way. Being aerial was an advantage over an opponent.

"And it isn't something you _get _either, so don't even try asking that one. It's something you're born with — unless you mean to tell me that you weren't born telepathic, and you happened to catch it like some cold virus?"

"No," he said evenly, keeping any emotion from coloring his voice. "I was born telepathic."

I was unable to tell if he had expected me to have an actual answer or be unversed in the subject. Either way, I silently thanked Rita for her tutelage. Kaleb wouldn't be able to catch me in any sort of falsity when it came to telepathy.

_But there are other things he could lie about, _I reminded myself, recalling that he had been able to match my strength and speed, and possibly even my other heightened senses.

"I already knew you were a telepath," I retorted. "You ruptured one of my blood vessels, remember?"

That remark seemed to hit the right note.

Kaleb flinched. "I apologize for my forcefulness, Alexandra."

"It's Alex," I corrected, "And no problem. I've had worse than a little nosebleed." I pushed myself away from the tree with my right foot, though not with enough force to make me airborne, and sauntered toward Kaleb, closing the gap between us.

"I know you came here to question me, Kaleb." My eyes and voice took on the same entrancing light and tone. "But I, too, have questions. Your other abilities — why are you so fast, so strong? What were you doing at the mall last night? Why did you help me? And what the _hell _happened when our skin touched?"

Kaleb nervously ran his fingers through his hair, combing back dark curls that fell into his eyes again. He'd been expecting this, my reversing the interrogation.

"This is going to take a while, Alexand—Alex."

"I've got all day." I showed Kaleb a sweet, close-mouthed smile and loped back to the tree, dropping myself to the grass between two protective roots.

I was prepared for Kaleb's maze of deception. But every lie is based on some kernel of truth. All I had to do was sift out these kernels and be one step closer to figuring out this whole mess. Conversely, I was not going to lie to Kaleb unless absolutely necessary. Half-truths weren't lies ... exactly.

I looked at Kaleb expectantly. "Come on. Pull up a root. Uh, don't take that literally. I don't think the tree would appreciate it."

* * *

When Kaleb had said that it was "going to take a while," he hadn't been kidding. The sun blazed directly overhead when we'd finally returned to Monica's house, taking a different route so that we emerged from the greenery nearer the sidewalk out front.

"Is that your car?" I asked, noticing for the first time that a car was parked next to the curb. I halted, mid-step.

"Is that a _Mercedes?" _I blurted out, not caring that I looked like a complete idiot.

"Umm … Yeah." Kaleb averted his gaze and ran his fingers through his hair. I noted that he did that quite often when in an uncomfortable situation.

"Huh." I thoughtfully pressed my lips together and my eyebrows arched high.

"Well, I think I should let you return to your family," Kaleb said, looking directly into my eyes. "They're probably wondering where you've gotten to."

"You're probably right," I replied, returning his steady gaze.

We stood on the sidewalk, absorbed in each other's eyes for a long moment, before we both looked away. The slightest of heats rose to color my cheeks, and I could feel Kaleb taking in the shade of my face.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Alex," Kaleb said, stepping into the street.

"Are you sure?" I retorted, folding my arms over my chest. "You're not going to swing by later today just for the fun of it?"

Kaleb chuckled as he stood by the open car door. "No, I'll definitely see you tomorrow. No more surprise visits for today."

I watched him climb into the driver's seat and turned to march up the walkway. I glanced over my shoulder once I had reached the steps to the porch, catching Kaleb's eye just as he drove off. A small shiver radiated throughout my body as I grasped the doorknob and gave it a twist. My ears were immediately assaulted with the comic sounds of Sunday morning cartoons, and my nose was greeted by the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

"Morning, hon!" called Monica from the kitchen. "Where did you wander off to?"

"I went for a walk in the forest," I replied, turning the volume of the TV down to a reasonable level. Ben pouted on the floor, jutting his lower lip out. I made a face at him, sticking out my tongue.

"Did you see that Mercedes out front?" Monica asked as she took her accustomed seat, the fluffy armchair. She sipped her java, wearing a fuzzy robe and slipper combo.

"Who _didn't?" _I answered, gently probing Monica's mind. If she noticed Kaleb's car, then maybe she saw us together.

"I wonder who it belongs to …" Nope. She didn't see Kaleb or me. Only the out of place Mercedes.

I sighed internally. "I'll be upstairs doing … stuff."

Monica smiled, laughter resonating in her response. "Alright, hon. See you later."

I ruffled Ben's hair, evoking an angry "Hey!", and bolted upstairs. I had _a lot _to think about.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Ah, so now we know what happened after those vampires ran off! And it appears that Alex is no idiot when it comes to the art of deceit ...

So, I've set up some common ground for these two -- they've both established that they are more or less equally matched in their telepathic abilities and "super speed;" they have a common "understanding" of their telepathic habits; and ... well, the rest is in Chapter Ten. Too bad I didn't include Alex and Kaleb's conversation, eh? -wink-

But also take notice that neither of them trust the other! Alex's double-duty position against the tree. Kaleb's on-edge presence. Neither of them know what to expect, so they're being _cautious._

Well, that's all for now. I've got a pretty nasty stomach virus, so I'll probably be home for the whole week. Which may or may not mean I'll be able to write. No promises!

-heart-

Swarlos

* * *

_**Disclaimer: **I still don't own the clothing brand "Converse." :(_


	12. Chapter Ten: Inferences

**Chapter Ten**

**"Inferences"**

I couldn't disappear back into the forest, despite the fact that I did my best thinking cradled in the boughs of my favorite tree, so the roof would have to make due. I kicked off my shoes, stepped out onto my balcony, and climbed onto the portion of the railing parallel to my bedroom, methodically cracking my knuckles. There was no need to spread my arms or wobble precariously; my balance was impeccable.

The corner of my mouth hooked upward, and I took a running start. Three long and powerful strides later, I was soaring over the stretch of grass below and clinging to the trellis attached to the outside of Monica's bedroom. Careful not to disturb the plant life, I scrambled to the top and pulled myself onto the sun-warmed roof. It would have been ten times easier to have just grabbed the gutter above my balcony and climbed onto the roof that way, but why not make things a little exciting?

Standing, I made my way to the chimney stack that belonged to the rarely used fireplace in the den. I sat myself down, leaning my back against the brick of the chimney. My arms were folded loosely over my stomach; my right leg stretched out in front of me, and my left leg was bent, my knee pointing skyward. I gazed upward, contently watching cottony horses race over a field of blue and fluffy rabbits laze as they floated past.

_Time to access the vault, _I told myself as I sifted through my thoughts for the memories of my morning spent with Kaleb Breslin.

* * *

_Kaleb eyed me warily, uncertainty playing at his eyes. After an endless moment, something broke down within him, and he crossed to the tree with an easy grace. He positioned himself on an upraised root so that he could look down at me, in close enough proximity that my skin began to tingle, but far enough away that I could not read his expression if he decided to turn ever so slightly._

_I opened my mouth to initiate the official questioning, but Kaleb spoke before I could say my piece._

"_To be fair, I think we should alternate questions, and seeing as how you didn't really answer mine …"_

_My eyebrow arched challengingly._

"… _Or you could begin," Kaleb surrendered. "Ladies first."_

_I smiled sweetly, fluttering my lashes. "Why thank you! I am in the company of a true gentleman!"_

_Kaleb stared at me, brows raised ever so slightly._

No sense of humor! _I sighed internally. _Guess I should go light on the sarcasm, then …

_I decided to start with a fairly neutral subject …_

* * *

I was under the impression that Kaleb did not know many telepaths, if any at all, for he spoke almost freely about his telepathy, as though he could not share his gift with another who would understand its true power and burden. I acted similarly, not wanting to draw Rita into the discussion.

Although we guarded ourselves, Kaleb and I forged a common ground.

We established that it was easier to access a person's mind through direct eye contact — hence our numerous glaring matches — especially if said person was a stranger, but that, if it were a person we were familiar with, eye contact was not necessary. We also established that the longer eye contact was kept, the stronger the hold on a person's consciousness. All basic knowledge. All things taught me by Rita and discussed with Rita.

I did not tell Kaleb that I could weasel my way into a stranger's head without eye contact of any sort. I did not tell Kaleb that I could read a familiar person's mind from up to fifty-seven miles away — Monica had gone on a business trip, and I had never experimented with any other distances before. I did not tell Kaleb that I could communicate my own thoughts into another's mind.

I could not tell exactly the level of telepathy Kaleb possessed. Obviously, if he was able to keep me at bay, he had to be powerful. But I had fractured his mental defenses, and he could not breach mine. Were we equally matched, or was one of us stronger than the other?

I thought it better to not compare our telepathic abilities. Especially when I had so many other things to ask about.

* * *

"_Other than run fast and leave craters in parking lots, what can you do?" There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Kaleb's sight, hearing, taste, touch, and olfactory were hyper-sensitive, but I wasn't going to throw that out there if he didn't know mine were._

"_The same things you can," Kaleb replied._

* * *

Lie. Huge lie. Biggest lie in the history of forever. He could _not _do the same "things" that I could. There was no possible way. Kaleb was not capable of what I was.

And that was only the first of the many anticipated lies.

* * *

_I fought back the urge to roll my eyes._ _"Like …?"_

"_Would a demonstration satisfy your inquiry?" Kaleb appeared somewhat annoyed._

"_To the fullest extent!" I answered exuberantly._

_Kaleb exhaled through his nose, pushing himself up. I shifted to better accommodate my line of sight._

"_Any requests?" he asked, coming to a stop near my stone pyramid. Kaleb hefted the topmost one, tossing it up and catching it in the same hand, awaiting my response._

_I shook my head, my hair swaying back and forth. "Whatever your heart desires."_

_Kaleb tossed the stone once more, turning his catch into a quarterback's throw. My head snapped to the left to follow the stone's path. The stone buried itself into a thick-trunked tree at the edge of the clearing. I hopped up to examine the damage._

_The bark and wood surrounding the stone had broken into long splinters at the stone's initial contact. The stone itself was settled in the tree far enough that I had to reach my fingers into the tree in order to touch its surface. But I had the feeling that Kaleb could have throw that stone straight _through _the tree and maybe the one behind it as well. I'd bet any amount of money that _I _could._

_I turned back to Kaleb and snorted, standing before the tree. "That's nothing!"_

"_Oh? Really?" Kaleb grasped a second stone, gripping it tightly. His sapphire eyes shone with the acceptance of a challenge. The muscles of his arm rippled, and the stone was quite suddenly flying through the air._

_My hand twitched in anticipation, but I stilled it. I could deflect the stone that was hurtling towards me in a nanosecond. I could lift my pyramid of stones from where I stood and pummel Kaleb with it. I could uproot the trees of the forest and rain them down upon him. If I wanted to._

_Instead, I simply lifted my hand to catch the stone a mere inch before it had the chance to shatter the cartilage of my nose. My fingers closed around it, and the stone collapsed into dust, crumbling into nothingness._

"_That was even sorrier." I rubbed my hand against my jeans to clean it of the stone's microscopic remains. "Watch and learn."_

_By the time Kaleb had raised his eyebrows and parted his lips to retort, I was standing in front of him, my hands wrapped around his arm — one on his bicep, the other in the center of his forearm —in a bone-crushing grip. At least, it would have been bone-crushing had Kaleb been _normal. _I_ _ignored the severe electrocution that travelled up my arms and into my chest, seizing my lungs and jumpstarting my heart to an alarming rate._

_Before he could react, Kaleb was where I had been half a second earlier. I watched from the ending position of my throw — turned around, facing the tree with the stone embedded in it, with both arms outstretched, my left leg bent at the knee, and my right leg outstretched behind me — the domino effect as the first tree fell backwards, colliding with the tree behind it, which fell into the tree behind it. With one throw, I'd dropped three trees._

* * *

After Kaleb had pulled himself from the wreckage, the next thirty or so minutes were spent displaying our superhuman abilities, excluding our telepathy and my other talent.

We hurled rocks at one another, taking turns demolishing them midair with crushing hands and swiping kicks. I scaled the towering tree that was the epicenter of the forest in only four seconds and leaped from the highest boughs that could hold my weight, landing below on my feet. Kaleb threw himself into the trees, travelling from limb to branch and barely disturbing the foliage. I executed an intricate and lighting-quick pattern of acrobatics. Kaleb — to my embarrassment — told me exactly what I had eaten for breakfast and the brand of toothpaste I used.

But we eventually returned to our discussion …

* * *

"_So, what were you doing at the mall last night?"_

_I was perched in the tree, on one of the thicker, lower branches, with my back pressed against the trunk and my legs stretched out before me, crossed at the ankles. Kaleb lay in the grass, just out of the shade of the tree, with his eyes closed, hands linked behind his head, and ankles crossed like mine._

"_And don't you dare say 'shopping,'" I warned, keeping an eye on him, waiting for some emption to slip through is stoic façade and give him away._

_Kaleb smirked, a hint of laughter coloring his response. "Then I'm afraid I can't give you an answer."_

_I snorted. "Well, it's not like you were waiting there because you knew what was going to happen."_

* * *

It was only a reflexive, fraction-of-a-second reaction, but I caught it — the length of Kaleb's body had suddenly gone rigid. I was right on the money … But the real question now was _how _had Kaleb known about the second attempt on my life and _why _had he bothered to interfere.

* * *

_Kaleb pushed himself up onto one elbow, twisting his upper half to face me. His eyes burned into mine, willing me to believe whatever lie tumbled out from between his lips. But that was nothing more than a parlor trick now, Kaleb's hypnotics._

"_Would you believe that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, that last night was just a coincidence?"_

_I cackled harshly. "No. But seeing as how I'm probably not going to get a straight answer, I'll let it go."_

Not to mention you already told me what I needed to know … _I thought._

"_But onto my next question," I continued, my gaze wandering off into the distant expanse of leaves as I recalled the previous night. Kaleb remained propped upon his elbow, watching me intently._

"_What the hell were those guys? I mean, aside from you, Kaleb, I've never met anyone that could match my strength and speed. Not only that, but their thoughts … I'm sure you read them. They were out for _blood. _And I know I beat the crap out of Donny the other night —"Kaleb knew that I'd had a prior encounter with Donny, either because he'd discovered it in Donny's head or through whatever source had led him to the mall last night "— but I don't think that would be any reason for them to want to _kill _me. And Lewis — Lewis had _fangs. _Obviously, he'd have had to have some sort of dental procedure, but they all acted like they were … vampires or something."_

* * *

_That _seemed to have hit a nerve. Kaleb had stopped breathing altogether. I had waited for the next thread of lies that Kaleb would spin into his spider's web, but Kaleb's breath had been stymied for long moments.

* * *

"_Are you okay?" I questioned, swinging my legs over the branch as I turned to face him, allowing them to dangle. "It doesn't look like you're breathing."_

_Kaleb closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, exhaling in a calming manner._

"_What did I say?"_

"'_Vampires,'" he whispered. Kaleb's intense gaze was upon me once more. He appeared displeased._

"'_Vampires'?" I repeated skeptically. _Don't tell me he's going to play on my simile and try to convince me that vampires exist and that I'd just had a close encounter with a gang of them …

"_Yes, 'vampires.'"_

"_Well, what about them?"_

"_That's what they were — Donny and his crew. They were vampires."_

_I laughed. "That's a load of crap."_

_Kaleb stood tall and confident. He looked me straight in the eye. There was not an ounce, not a gram of falsity in his piercing gaze._

_I stopped swinging my feet and dropped to the ground, marching over to stand nose-to-nose with Kaleb, our bodies barely two inches apart. I could feel the electric current that crossed the space between us, like tiny, random bolts of static electricity._

"_What do you mean 'they were vampires'?" I said in a low growl._

"_Just how it sounds," he answered softly, his eyes never leaving mine, his voice never wavering._

"_How can they be vampires?" My voice refused to change from its tone of rumbles and snarls. How _dare_ Kaleb Breslin try to deceive me with such blatant disregard to my intelligence!_

_Kaleb quickly slipped into a state of security; his eyes and voice adopted the same trepidation. He'd said something he shouldn't have. He chose his next words carefully._

"_There are those who have the same … 'supernatural' abilities as us. And they believe that they are something more — something mythical. Some go as far as placing themselves in the same league as gods. Donny is one of those who think they're …"_

"_Vampires?" I finished._

_Kaleb's eyes betray his lie. "Yes. They have their own cult. They have dental procedures to give themselves fangs. They gorge themselves on blood — usually synthetic or animal."_

"_But Donny was after _my _blood," I said. "And last I checked, I didn't 'bah' or 'moo.'"_

_Kaleb moved his shoulders in what was supposed to pass for a shrugging motion. "My guess is that he and his friends must have been radicals — out to make their image as real as possible."_

* * *

I had stared up at Kaleb for a long moment following his response. His words had been based on some piece of truth. But could vampires _really _exist? As I lounged on the roof, somehow I wasn't as skeptical as I thought I would be — _should _be.

If Kaleb, Rita, and I were living, breathing telepaths, if there was an entire population out there that possessed the same talents … then maybe — just _maybe — _I could believe that vampires were real.

* * *

_There was no true rebuttal to a statement such as that, so I moved onto a different topic._

"_What about that electric shock?" I questioned, pressing my forefinger to his upper arm and promptly removing it before the lighting could strike. There was a surge in the current that traversed between our bodies._

"_I'm inclined to believe that this is an effect of our being equally matched in our telepathic abilities," Kaleb replied, rubbing his arm where my finger had burned him. There was no note of dishonesty in his voice, and the notion had also crossed my mind._

"_Seems plausible," I agreed with a slight nod. "Do you feel it now?"_

"_It's faint, but it's present," Kaleb said._

_Curious, I took a step back. "How about now?"_

"_Still there."_

_Another step. "Now?"_

"_Still there." Kaleb folded his arms over his chest, a smile tugging at his lips._

_And another step. "Now?"_

"_Yes …"_

* * *

It hadn't been until I'd passed my tree, crossed from the clearing into the forest, and a reached a patch of mushrooms — about thirty feet from my starting position — that either of us could no longer feel the energy. It was quite odd …

The theory was reasonable. It would certainly explain why I had wanted to tear Kaleb's head off whenever he'd entered a classroom. We were rivals — and equally matched at that.

But why had I never had a similar reaction to Rita? It was true that I had surpassed her in strength long ago, but even when I had only begun to explore my telepathy there had never been any feeling of friction between us.

* * *

_When I returned to the clearing, the sun had nearly reached the apex of its daily travels. Head upturned, Kaleb watched as a cloud passed overhead. His sapphire eyes glittered magnificently, and my breath caught as I neared._

"_I think it's time you be getting home, Alex," Kaleb said, turning his still sparkling gaze upon me._

_I blinked twice to clear my thoughts. "Right. It's nearly noon."_

_We took off into the forest, running side-by-side. Kaleb slowed as we close in on the edge of the green expanse, coming to a complete stop a few yards from the tree line._

"_Alex …" Kaleb ran his fingers through his hair and glanced between the trees at the street that lay so near. "If — If you ever need anything … I'm — I'm here to help."_

_My eyes widened somewhat. _I wasn't expecting _that …_

"_Umm … Thanks, Kaleb. That means a lot."_

_Still taken aback, I stepped out onto the sidewalk, only to be confronted with the sight of Kaleb Breslin's Mercedes …_

* * *

From my morning with Kaleb, I could make a number of inferences.

One, Kaleb and I were more or less equally matched telepaths, which was both good and bad. He couldn't break me, but I couldn't crack him either.

Two, Kaleb and I shared a similar range of supernatural abilities. However, I had managed to keep one ace up my sleeve …

Three, Kaleb had _known _that I would be attacked last night and had _chosen _to intervene.

Four, Donny and his pals were either vampire-posers … or the real deal. And seeing as how Kaleb had tried to cover his tracks mighty fast when I'd challenged the idea, I was predisposed to thinking that the first half of his explanation had been true and the second half a load of bull.

And five, Kaleb was definitely in the "Ally" category. He'd exposed his secrets to me. He'd even offered me help in the future.

I jumped to my feet and walked along the peak of the roof until I was above my bedroom, then sat down and slid over the smooth shingles, stopping myself before I glided over the edge. I stood once more and turned my back to the sea of trees, my arms outstretched to either side.

I let myself fall, dropping over the edge, and, at the last possible second, arched my back so that my descent curved and I completed a back flip. My hands reached out knowingly, gripping the edge of the roof, which was only so much stronger than the rain gutter, with enough pressure to steady myself and not crush the tiny ledge. I hung by my fingertips for a moment and then let myself drop to the balcony below.

I pushed aside the door to my balcony. After all that thinking, I was starving, and there was a takeout menu on the refrigerator with my name on it … Literally.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I know. It took me forever to update. If this surprises you, don't complain. It always takes me forever to update.

So, here's that mystical conversation that Kaleb and Alex had. Needed to make sure I filled in some holes, dug out a new one, and seemingly covered a couple up. (Specifically -- Kaleb and Alex know they're equals ... mostly; Alex knows of vampires; Kaleb is considered by Alex to be an ally.) Built some bridges for Kaleb and Alex while I was at it, too, and laid the groundwork for future interaction.

Right now, I'm trying to decide whether or not to write Kaleb's take on the morning. It would be easier and less redundant to just work it in to later Chapters, and then I could just skip ahead a bit. Either way, the next Chapter will be a little boring. It's between Kaleb's POV and a mini-time jump.

At the moment, I'm on "Spring Break," which has been hacked down to four days (Fri-Mon). And I'm sick. (Again.) We'll see if I can crank out another Chapter or not. I'm betting I can, I just have to decide which Chapter to write. Until then ...

-heart-

Swarlos

P.S. Much, MUCH longer than my other Chapters, eh? Wanted to get in some good details and those little bits of choreography.

* * *

_Thanks to Wolf of Midnight's call for once again catching my mistakes. I owe her, like, some cookies or something ..._


	13. Chapter Eleven: All Was Quiet

_**Notice:** The term "shit" is used in this Chapter._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Eleven**

**"All Was Quiet"**

Before long, it was Thanksgiving. And then it was Christmas. And then it was New Year's. The first semester had passed in a whirlwind of tests, homework assignments, and bad cafeteria food.

The week following my conference with Kaleb Breslin, I paid Rita a visit. I told her only what she needed to know — strictly telepathy. Rita did not know of anything else of which I was capable, and I was not about to divulge the secrets Kaleb had entrusted to me. I didn't bother mentioning Donny, either. Rita was not as open-minded about the supernatural as her superstitious, fraudulent grandmother.

Sharona rambled on about Witchcraft and sorcery, curses and charms, and Rita and I had always dismissed every word. Now, I wasn't so sure that Sharona was as superstitious as Rita and I had originally thought. Sharona may not have possessed anything like our telepathy, but that didn't necessarily mean she was unknowledgeable about the supernatural. If I could believe that vampires were real, then maybe Sharona's ideas of magic weren't so farfetched either.

With October came a series of marathon-meetings that involved a bank, a legal firm, and the world's longest table. With the end of that month came a novel-length document with numerous illegible signatures that stated I had complete access to the estate my parents had left me in their will — stocks, bonds, savings accounts, safety deposit boxes, vehicles, properties … I had access to it all, and starting next year, after my graduation, I would take full responsibility for what was left by my parents.

Throughout those autumn and winter months, I had spent as much time with Ben and Monica as possible. Monica and I went shopping on weekends, spent days at the local spa, and had relaxing luncheons — usually my treat. Ben and I did anything his imagination could muster — countless eating contests (that I let him win), extreme mud puddle jumping, making the perfect snow angels, snowball wars …

However, it was impossible for me to neglect my training. I spent my days in school, at work, and with Monica and Ben, but my nights were consumed with exercises for both my body and my mind. The forest was a natural obstacle course and provided the means for my physical training. The forest also provided a means for a portion of my mental training, but my telepathy was practiced during the daylight hours when I was around people.

When it was time for Old Saint Nick to pay the Sherwood residence his annual visit, Mr. Kringle was especially generous in his gift-giving. Monica received two tickets to Hawaii for a week-long vacation in February, the new washer and dryer set she'd been eyeing, and a locket containing a miniature picture of Ben and me and an inscription that read, "Forever loving, forever loved." And Ben was showered with gifts ranging from remote controlled toys to a new bicycle to the dreaded packs of socks and underwear.

But while my relationships with Monica and Ben flourished, that with Kaleb Breslin remained distant and unacknowledged by both parties. I only saw Kaleb during school hours. Our one-on-one interaction over that span of those months was limited to an overly simple lab exercise that called for partners and the occasional passing in the hallway or classroom that allowed for a quick smile, a "hi," and a "how are you?" The sparks of electricity that passed between us was ever-present and always had me on the slightest of excited edges, planted an extra glimmer of exhilaration in my eyes. But that, too, was ignored to the best of our abilities.

Still, I wondered …

Why would a vampire be after my blood? I hadn't been aware of their existence until Lewis had tried to bite me. And even then, two and two had only equaled three. I had needed Kaleb to unintentionally show me that it equaled four.

Why did Kaleb Breslin even bother to involve himself in the affairs of a vampire? And if Kaleb had been aware not just of vampires, but of a vampire's plans, then he had to be more than just a telepath. But what more could he be? Was _I _more than a telepath for knowing of their world and being able to defeat such a creature?

If Kaleb was involved in the dealings of vampires, what could his _sister_ possibly be up to? She had yet to return from their previous place of residence. Was she something of equal power to a telepath such as her brother? Or could she be stronger? If she did not prove to be as open as Kaleb, would I be able to subdue her? Would I be able to defend myself against _both _Breslins if the need ever arose?

But to top off that plague of questions, I was overcome with the notion that _everything _was connected to my parents' murder. That first day of school, when my nightmare had sprang to life at the sight of the Breslin twins. The dream I had had of Kaleb strangling me. Both Donny's and Lewis' crazed expressions, which mirrored that of my parents' killer.

It was all connected … But the one piece I couldn't fit was Kaleb Breslin.

Donny and Lewis were obviously associated with my parents' murderer — which meant that my mother and father had been killed by a vampire. Donny hadn't attacked me at random. Someone had been pulling the strings — Donny's "master." I was an expert at making myself unnoticeable, unapproachable, and unappealing. I wouldn't have drawn his attention without being pointed out by someone else — someone out to finish the job he'd started eleven long years ago …

Yes, that part of the puzzle fell together with a fair amount of ease. But Kaleb Breslin …

This boy — this telepath — put his life on the line for me — a stranger — and took on a horde of vampires. He could match all of my skills but one. He had knowledge of the supernatural that surpassed my own by an immeasurable margin. _And _he offered me future assistance.

I could be sure of only two things … One, Kaleb was a telepath and then some. Two — and this was subject to change — Kaleb was on my side.

But for the time being, it seemed that all was quiet.

* * *

Months later, Kaleb was still reprimanding himself for that morning in the forest. He had gotten into a competition with a human and had almost exposed his entire race. And _then_ he had offered her help in the future is she was ever in need of it. What was he _thinking?…_

Kaleb had been keeping tabs on Donny and those who were with him that night at the mall. The two male vampires that had run off before Kaleb had joined the fight went about their business as per usual. Nikki had given Lewis the boot, and Lewis had left the city in search of new hunting grounds. Donny had disappeared without a trace.

All of the vampires in the adjacent city were now well aware of Kaleb's presence so close to their home. None so much as breathed in the direction of the Breslin territory without a Final Death wish.

Kaleb also asked his sister to keep him up-to-date in her dealings with Richard's House. She had dealt out Final Deaths to nearly a quarter of the Valentine Household. Richard was infuriated, but could do nothing due to Danica's superior rank in the Clan. She not only outranked Richard, the head of the Valentine House, but also had the consent of the Clan Elders and the Heads of the Clan to eradicate any vampire in the Valentine Household accused of and proven to be unnecessarily draining mortals of their blood without the intention of turning them. In simpler terms — Danica was to eliminate any vampire that was killing humans, which went against the Clan Code.

Aside from those general reports, Danica also relayed to Kaleb any news she received pertaining to Donny, who had run home to his master, Richard. Richard was equally furious with Donny's inability to "handle such a simple mission," drilling into him that "there would be hell to pay" for the both of them if it "wasn't taken care of — and soon."

Danica questioned Kaleb as to what had been going on while she was away. He told her only what she needed to know — that Donny had been sent to kill a human and that Kaleb had intervened to prevent a killing on the Breslin territory. He did not reveal Alexandra Sherwood to his sister — he would not until the time was right, when he could give Danica accurate information and a full report. Kaleb was still trying to find the connection between Alexandra Sherwood and the vampire society.

Alexandra Sherwood was a telepath — most likely descended from a Witch Coven — who was also capable of reaching incredible speeds, handling mammoth weights and had lightning-fast reflexes and unnaturally heightened senses. Aside from her telepathy, Alexandra possessed the common abilities of a vampire — _but _she was, without a doubt, a human. Which brought Kaleb's theory of Alexandra being bitten in years past and having microscopic amounts of venom left in her bloodstream back into play.

So, how was Alexandra connected to Richard Valentine?…

No, not Richard … But whoever wanted Richard to "take care of" Alexandra. Donny's puppeteer was a mere puppet himself. Whoever it was that pulled Richard's strings wanted Alexandra dead.

Was she once prey who had escaped? Had she offended him in some manner? Had her _ancestors _— be they Witch or human — offended him in some way? Or did the Grand Puppeteer just want a new pet with mystical powers and a mouth-watering taste?

Regardless of the reason for Alexandra being wanted by a vampire, she would become the target of another attack "— and soon."

But for the time being, it appeared that all was quiet.

* * *

"Hey, Ben!" I wrapped the six-year-old in a hug.

"Hi, Alex! Look what I made in awrt class today!" A piece of white construction paper was thrust into my face, a grinning Benjamin Sherwood standing beneath it.

Drawn in colored crayon was a scene from our very recent holiday festivities. In the upper, left-hand corner was the bottom half of a pine tree, under which were tiny, multi-colored boxes that were meant to be Christmas gifts. The center of the page was dominated by a table with a variety of foods atop it — all of which were colored orange. On one side of the table, a large, circular mass that was a swirl of purple and brown — which I took to be myself — was laid out on the floor with tiny "x's" for eyes. On the other side was a small, smiling stick-ish figure wearing a yellow crown. I took this to be Ben.

"Dat's me," Ben said, pointing at the stick figure. "And dat's you, Alex, after Kwistmas dinner."

I laughed as I took another look at the picture, recalling what had actually happed that night.

Ben had challenged me to an eating contest — who could eat the most gingerbread cookies. I'd eaten about half of the feast Monica had prepared, and wasn't sure if I could handle any more food. About five gingerbread men in, I clutched at my stomach and threw myself to the floor, surrendering. (Truth is — I could've eaten the entire platter of cookies and the rest of the turkey, too.)

I handed Ben his artwork. "It's a true masterpiece. Keep it safe so that we can hang it up at home, okay?"

Ben nodded, and I opened the car door for him. Once I was in the driver's seat, Ben struggled to hand me something else.

"What's this?" I asked, reaching back to take the envelope. My name was written across the front.

"I dunno. Da man said to give it to you."

"What man?" I questioned, an icy edge creeping into my voice as I suspiciously eyed the envelope.

"I dunno." Ben shrugged. "He came up to me at weecess, gaved me dat, and tolded me to give it to you. So, I did."

I turned to face Ben and eased my mind into his, gently searching for the image of the man who had approached Ben at recess. _Donny … That son of a — How dare he contact Ben!_

With a low growl, I whirled back around to face the steering wheel, ripping the envelope from whatever it encased. I threw the shredded paper aside and unfolded the brief letter — more of a note.

_Dearest Alexandra,_

_It has been too long since our last encounter, my sweet child. Eleven years, isn't it? My, where does the time go? And you — you, Alexandra. You have grown into such a lovely young woman. You're eighteen now, correct? You look exactly like your mother, and you have your father's eyes. Oh, how you have grown …_

_And I see that you have adopted a new family as well. The Sherwoods, yes? Monica and Ben? Wonderful people, Alexandra. You have done well in life. But I fear that you and I have unfinished business, my dear, and I don't like to leave lose ends untied._

_I shall be in touch._

_V._

_P.S. I do hope that Monica enjoyed the champagne._

I stared at the page stretched taut between my hands, reading and rereading the note as I vaguely remembered Monica coming home from the office Christmas party with a gifted bottle of champagne.

I was right — Donny was connected to my parents' murderer. And now, their murderer was coming back to finish the job. But I still didn't understand _why? Why _did my parents have to die? _Why _did he have to come back for me? _Why _here? _Why _now, after all these years?

And whoever the hell this "V" was, he wanted to make sure that I knew he was watching. He knew where I was and who I was with. He could get to Monica or Ben or me at any time.

"Alex?"

My eyes snapped up from the paper, and my head swiveled to look at Ben.

"Alex, can we go home now?"

I blinked slowly, holding back the thoughts and words that threatened to overwhelm me. "Uh, yeah, Ben. We can go home."

* * *

"Kaleb? Kaleb, they're gone! They're _gone! _Just like that! All of them! The whole House! They've just … _vanished!"_

"Dani — Dani, calm down. Tell me what happened." Kaleb attempted to soothe his sister, but her words continued to stream through the cell phone at an alarming rate. To human ears, Danica Breslin's voice would have sounded like that of a singer on a cassette tape on fast forward.

"They're gone, Kaleb!"

"Who's gone, Dani?"

"The House! The whole _damn _House!" Danica shouted in exasperation.

"The Valentine House?"

"Yes, the Valentine House! At what other Houses have I spent the last four months upholding and reinforcing the Code?!"

"What _happened, _Dani? Give me details." Kaleb sat himself in a chair, his mind amess with thoughts of distress.

"I don't _know _what the hell happened, Kaleb!" she snarled. "I was out tracking last night, I come back this morning, and the whole damn House is empty! The House, the grounds — _everything! _The entire Household just up and left while I was away!"

"Did you search? Did you look for —"

"This isn't my first mission, Kaleb! Of course I searched for traces of where they've gone! They didn't leave a damn thing except for the bodies of whichever of my men got in their way last night."

"Shit …"

If Richard's House had gone into hiding, that meant something big was about to happen. And Kaleb, although he still could not discern what connection Alexandra Sherwood had in all of this, had the feeling that this put her in immediate danger.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Just so you all know, I wrote this over my break. But due to lack of reviews, I decided I'd hold off on updating. I apologize to those of you who actually take the time to read my work and give me actual feedback, but this is getting rediculous. This Fic receives approximately 60+ hits per Chapter, and only _five _people take the time to press that Review button at the bottom of the page. Do that math. That's not even one _tenth. _That's one _twelfth _of the people who read each Chapter.

Is it really that challenging to click the Review button and type out "Hey, nice job with that fight! I could totally picture it!" or "Nice use of adjectives. Your descriptions really make the piece flow." or "Great dialogue! It really brings the characters to life!"? Something simple. It doesn't even have to be a compliment. Insult me. "Your characters are generic." "Your interpretation of accents SUCK." "Your vocabulary isn't relatable to readers."

The point? I put my work on FanFic to receive feedback and criticism. I'm not asking for those those lame "Awesome! Update soon!" reviews. I'm asking for some more people to start taking the two minutes it takes to pick out something they really liked or really hated and TELL ME ABOUT IT. Honestly. It's not that hard. Better feedback would probably even motivate me to update more often. (Because I know how much my sporadic postings iritate everyone.)

Anyway ...

We had ourselves a major time-jump here. All of a sudden, we find ourselves in January. HAPPY NEW YEAR! -throws confetti- This Chapter reviews what happened over those months we missed and kicks off the rest of the story. Now, we're getting to the meat of the Fic. The next Chapter will be particulary informative, so pay close attention. And here are a few previews to keep you reading: from here on out, Alex and Kaleb will have a lot more one-on-one stuff; Danica shall finally arrive; someone will not live to see the sequel; and Alex will make a particularly tough decision. (If you've read any of my previous HB attempts, you know what the latter two previews are all about. Don't spoil it for anyone, 'kay?)

That's all for now. No telling when the next Chapter will be up. I've got finals, an AP Exam, a concert, a graduation ceremony, the final issue of the paper and the newsletter, and oodles of other fun stuffs to worry about.

-heart-

Swarlos

P.S. I've also put up a poll on my User Profile. Thought it might be a little less taxing for some of you to just select an pre-written response. However, the Options pertain to the changes I've made betwixt HB attempts. If you just so happen to feel like telling me something else, you'll still have to type it yourselves. Sorry that I'm not a God damned mind-reader like Amelia.

* * *

_An uber-special thank you to the following people (in alphabetical order) for caring enough to review: Dane-Vampire-Queen; HeartlessFallenAngel; JadedFoxFire; Teenyjewel; and Wolf of Midnight's call. Thank you so very much. You five are the reason I bother to continue posting these Chapters._


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